Actually, if cops had any sense they'd just slap a punk or a smartass and let it go at that.
But no, these days they've got to arrest them and cause all kinds of bullshit.
When I was a little kid I saw a plainclothes cop pull some punk kid over and chew him out on the street. I was about ten and I just stood there in amazement. The kid stood there with his head hanging down. Then the cop let him go.