Actually, we've never seen local police forces. Not on UFP worlds, that is.
Now, alien police forces are common foils to our heroes. But said heroes never indicate any sort of familiarity with a corresponding Federation entity. One'd think the existence of a UFP civilian police force would get discussed at least sometimes when the inevitable "jurisdiction conflict" plot complications arise...
Really, a utopian society would be well justified in having the military perform the law enforcement. Currently, that's frowned upon in some places because the military mindset sees enemies everywhere and is rightfully trained to utilize excessive force to crush them. But in a true utopia, that problem would be eliminated: the military wouldn't attack domestic "opposition" any more indiscriminately than it attacks the foreign sort. When the average police operation is headed by somebody as level-minded as Picard, the bias of antagonism doesn't exist. Essentially, we aren't watching the UFP military patrolling the streets - we see the UFPPD being sent to defend the Federation borders!
Not clear at all. Plasus is the one making the threats about the Ardana/UFP relationship, from the angle that the relationship is solid and empowers Plasus to kick Kirk repeatedly in the head until he stops pestering the aristocrats.
Nor is there any sign that Sarek's first wife would be subject to UFP purges any time soon. Unless the second marriage with Amanda was indeed forced/facilitated through anti-aristocrat death squads popping said Vulcan princess?
The Federation isn't explicitly indicated to be a class society. But there's nothing explicit nor implicit about it not being stratified in many ways. The military still seems to gather the detritus of the society, the rebels, the maniacs, the literal or spiritual orphans. When the society already has to cater for hundreds of different species, it would be rather strange for it to not accept and embrace the existence of social strata.
Timo Saloniemi
