It was always a compromise round, to help bring together fans of capacity and fans of bullet mass.
This was not why it was adopted wholeheartedly by law enforcement. The FBI adopted it in the early 1990s because it met their parameters for a defensive round. It's adoption happened to coincide with the ongoing transition from revolvers to semis in law enforcement. Up to that point 9mm had been the go to round for leos, much more so than 45acp.
Within a decade, or less, it became the most widely used ammo in law enforcement in the U.S. At no time in the past or since has any round risen to such popularity in the U.S. so rapidly. It eclipsed the 9mm and the 45 among leos.
It is one of the top 3 most popular semi-auto rounds in the U.S. (not counting the .22) It's not going to slip below that in our lifetimes.
tipoc