I do not think it is the issue of money (or at least money alone) - but of the whole institutional culture of military-style policing, which makes a police officer more of a Marine than a civil servant. US is perhaps the most thoroughly militarized society among developed Western countries, which at the same time avoids the most obvious superficial signs of militarism (such as parades). The effect of that militarization on society is truly devastating - US-sers do not solve social problems, such as drugs, poverty, crime etc. but wage wars on them. That evokes a whole set of imagery and role models that encourage garrison mentality on the one hand (gated communities, multiple layers of security) and military-style responses to the real or perceived enemies of society.
That, btw, addresses one of Justin's concerns voiced earlier on this listserv regarding the police vs military response to terrorism. US does not police (in a civilian meaning of the word) its own society but wages multiple wars against its parts, so why would one expect it to behave differently toward other societies?
Wojtek