People who support the rioters are talking about a policy of "defunding the police." Translation, having no police. This won't happen, but it is worth thinking about what would result if it did pass.
We've been there before, 150 years ago. What happened was irritated citizens formed vigilante groups, rounded up people who were abusing their neighbors, and hung them from lampposts.
Nothing much in terms of due process was provided and undoubtedly a few sods were hung because they were a cranky pain in the butt, because a vigilante leader coveted their pretty young wife or because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Vigilantes didn't run jails or prisons, they did sometimes run out of town people who weren't worth hanging, and they were often racist.
In the absence of police, eventually everyone goes armed, and petty spats turn into murders, especially in bars. For those who don't have quick draw skills, bushwhacking and back shooting become the preferred modus operandi. Trust me, we don't want to go there. In spite of their occasional downside, the police are way better than the no-police alternative.
