Disarming a criminal in the course of making an arrest is completely acceptable. Using necessary force to stop a crime in progress or make a arrest of a suspect is completely acceptable.
Disarming a law abiding citizen - or stealing their weapons from their homes - is completely unacceptable. Using necessary force to "prevent" a crime by a person with no such intention or action is completely unacceptable.
Most law enforcement officers - current or former - understand and respect the difference. Law enforcement exists to help the citizens - the law abiding citizens - maintain law and order in society.
Government, unfortunately, often has a way of over reacting to problems by making too many laws to "prevent" problems while avoiding the direct solution. These laws don't do anything to hinder the law breakers. They just make life more difficult for people who do not misbehave.
Such laws - or directives - are implemented because officials conclude that, because some crime has occurred - perhaps something very news worthy - at the hands of some criminals - people who have no respect for law, no "ordinary" citizen can be "trusted" by the government to respect law much less do their part to uphold it. The incidents have time and again served as excuses for the government to increase their grip upon the citizens. Often these are well intentioned attempts but they end up being misapplied and counter productive.
Government, unfortunately, also frequently focuses upon regulating those that are compliant because they're less of a problem to deal with. That's why some police officers in New Orleans - and by no means all because many are worthy of commendation for their great work - did nothing when needed but were around when they were not or when the work was just breaking down a door and rounding up weapons from citizens who did not resist or where not even there to do so.
