Depends on the police. A highway patrolman is usually disliked because they are annoying. They are duly doing their service but it usually involves make us pay a ticket. Thus they are associated with irritable duties. A SWAT officer is not unlikely to be seen in a similar class as a soldier just because of the circumstances of their job. Just like a soldier they are often in dangerous scenarios for the sake of the people. You also do not have videos of SWAT teams bullying civilians (this is of course excluding riot police). This also applies to the military. Someone in the National guard is probably less respected than a Marine because the Marine is more likely to be risking his life. Another point is that those who join the military usually do it as a last resort. Most try to live as civilians with the military as a back up plan. Police often join for respect,(that they do not get) and the power.