What US politician, in defending the actions of the police under his authority, said the following ?
"The police are not there to create disorder; they are there to preserve disorder."

In the words of the original Mayor Daley (that would be Richard J):
The police are not there to create disorder. The police are there to preserve disorder.

Well, I ALMOST remembered this one exactly. This was, of course, spoken during the Chicago Democratic Convention in 1968. I was on my way there, but somehow got distracted by a young lady at a nearby beverage emporium.

Thanks again for the source.