English Translation
Bob was always in a tight spot with the police.
I think the literal meaning is closer to “Bob was always in trouble with the police.”
I see your point, I’d like to add my two cents that a tight spot could be translated as na bakier, in my view in a tight spot is a 9th grade idiom, and the original sentence should be as difficult as the translation so if the original has kłopoty which is an easy word, then trouble would be a better translation indeed.