I have police officers only a half mile away from my home, I don't live in the desert, I live in town, however the local situation is as such that usually there is only ONE officer on duty. And their protocol dictates that when a call comes in with a potential for violence (any situation where I would need to defend myself) They have to wait for backup before they'll respond. And that can be anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours... So sorry to say that for me the cops aren't the answer, they can come and clean up the mess (whether that be me or the other guy... Hopefully the other guy) I have no delusions that a firearms keeps me safe, but It at least levels the playing field if I'm in a situation where force is being used against me.

Also BTW the supreme court has ruled that the police don't have a duty to protect individuals. So feel free to sleep on that the next time you have to call the police.