Yep! The police unions hold massive sway over cities, media (especially local media) and politicians by threatening to simply stop enforcing laws if they don't get their way. They can then use the media and scare tactics to drive up "crime is out of control" narratives (see: 500 stories about shoplifting, "organized robberies" sweeping cities, etc), argue they need more funding by creating work stoppages and then wait for public opinion to come back around to their side.