Hell - give a 40 year old a gun and a badge and he's going to feel the weight of that for a while. It doesn't take long for most new officers to learn the low relative value of these things when they interact with the worst society has to offer. A gun and a badge don't mean much in those circles and that lesson only has to be learned once.

The average 20 year old today shouldn't be trusted with a driver's license and a cell phone at the same time. Let's hope the selection process is yielding those who are above average regardless of their age.