My stance on what might be considered necessary would be dependent on prevailing circumstances at the time but in accordance with the law and regulations.

In Scotland, at that time, police were only allowed to use a police baton for self defence, to secure the arrest of a particularly violent offender, or on the instructions of a senior office to assist in "quelling a riot" or some other serious scene of violent disorder.

It's not something which would be entered into lightly, believe me.

These days, the Police have got much more weaponry at their disposal. A sad sign of the times although I personally doubt that society has become any more violent in general.

The Police aren't perfect in Scotland, by any means, but they weren't guilty of the behaviour you have described nor are they comparable with law enforcers in discredited regimes such as Nazi Germany, Franco's Spain, South Africa during the apartheid era and so on. Nor would I choose to believe that the great majority of English Officers are either.

Songs such as these are a generalisation and I'd rather if song writers would focus on the specific issues and areas of concern rather than condemning everyone who happens to belong to a particular grouping of people.
These days, it seems to be bankers who are fair game which isn't much fun for the great majority of them who are only doing their job as well.