I'm not going to be gaslit into thinking that desiring to live in a community without human excrement on the streets or random stabbings, via increased policing is 'licking the boot' or 'smoking crack'.

Right, so the only options that exist:

1 - The police is absolute and can do anything they want, and unless you have a magical police force in your pocket you can't complain.

2 - The police doesn't exist and every city is covered in excrement and random stabbings.

There's no gaslight going on, we just don't see everything in black and white like you.