[1] https://www.insider.com/taylor-swift-eras-tour-nashville-res...
[2] https://fun107.com/a-new-bedford-woman-went-as-far-as-landin...
"Friend" was probably a strong word here, he's someone I know, chat with and am on friendly terms with. I'd help him change a tire. I'm sure he'd help me out if I needed it. I'm sure he'd write tickets, make arrests, etc.
But let's tone down the self-righteous indignation for a bit...
Here's an example where a cop doesn't enforce the law: "A 14 year old is driving home their drunk dad". What do you do as a cop? Legally, you should be writing a ticket / booking them for jail. In reality, the cop 90+% of the time will let them off.
Another (real) example, a cop at a local church pulls over his pastor for speeding. He tells the pastor "Pastor! Why were you speeding!" then lets him off with a warning and sends him home. For the next 10 years he always minds his speed (at least in that area) because the embarrassment was far more than the ticket.
IMO cops, security, etc are just people. They subjectively enforce law and rules, most view their purpose as keeping people safe first and foremost. Not squeezing their neighbors to ensure the state, corporations, etc get their cut.
Back to this particular case, would I confide in him? No. Would he let his friends off with a warning, instead of a ticket -- sure. Would he let someone who didn't pay into a concert, 100% (he does). Of course that's pretty normal, if you know anyone in security. Not to mention, they often get free tickets to this stuff if they aren't working, depending where you work.