"The fact that people say they want the best possible candidates for the job of police officer implies they are elevating the profession and giving it a special status."

Hilarious. People don't say that. The vast majority of the people of this country have absolutely zero to say about who gets hired as police. Which is part of the problem, because we do not get the best of our society as officers. A large portion are tough-guy wannabes who joined as cops to be able to use their authority to harass and brutalize people they don't like. And they are not held to a higher standard of behavior, as so many public exposes have shown recently.

I disagree entirely with your proposition. Cops are civil servants, government employees, workers like you and me. They deserve respect, but no more than any other worker.