"That police officer could not justifiably confiscate property from everybody around simply because he wanted to, without an identifiable reason or link to public safety, etc."

That link must be clear. In the aftermath of Katrina, The mayor and police chief of New Orleans had police enter homes and forcibly remove weapons from innocent people, who were bothering no one. They were ordered by a federal court to return the weapons. After first denying tere were any, they stalled until held in contempt of court and fined. They had stored the confiscated weapons in barrels, in a trailer, in Louisiana humidity. The guns were rusted hulks by then. Even though it should not have been necessary, some states have passed laws to see this violation of the Constitution does not happen again. Remember seeing the little old lady being thrown to her own floor? Power corrupts. Stan