More things change the more they stay the same. Old old issue.
People miss a lot when they look at FL organizations as being exactly the same as a "similar" real world organization. Trying to fit them in these limited models will only cause a lot of suffering and lessen your enjoyment of the game.
An American from some middle-upper class suburb has a completely different view of Police then say a villager in Tibet or Libya. However, I digress.
The point I've made in the past is that some of the FL organizations may on the outside be labeled as being similar to RL organizations but in actuality are composites of many different organizations. The LSF and LPI being the two I am most familiar with.
I'll stick with the LPI example.
To me the LPI are not just some local police but an amalgamation of the Police, FBI, DEA, ATF, & CBP (aka Customs and Border Patrol).
They also do not operate in the actual USA but Liberty...which is massively different than the present day.
Think equal parts dystopian future and wild wild west.
Criminals today are very limited in their arms and armaments. The most heavily armed ones might have body armor or an armored car. Maybe a heavy machine gun mounted on a fast speed boat, an RPG or 2, some grenades or IEDs.
In FL Criminals fly around in the equivalent of stealth fighters and bombers. They command aircraft carriers and battleships. They roll in with tanks and mechanized infantry support.
If the LPI wants to have some tanks jebus, god bless em. If I were them I'd be petitioning my local senator for a couple Death Stars with Lazzor's.