This idea that social services (community centers, at-risk youth outreach programs, etc) can do the work instead of police is tempting, but it's very unlikely.

Yes, that doesn't mean they are unnecessary. (Quite the opposite, as police also does too much. And similarly the prison system is also so laughably underfunded compared to its size that it almost makes things worse.)

But. And that's the real issue that many people just don't want to see, it's still chronically underfunded (and mismanaged, but getting better management is not going to be cheap).

Of those billions, have they been spent wisely? Spending feel-good dollars that are politically appealing and spending those same billions on bitter medicine (read: shelters that nobody wants to build, making more public toilets, etc.) that will not get you reelected are two very different things. Anyone can piss away a few billion and give themselves a gold star and a press conference for doing it.

I think the idea is that those are expensive but ineffectual feel good measures that constitute kicking the can.

The problems have done nothing but grow. Yes, there have been services. No, there haven't been solutions. That is kicking the can down the road, despite how well-meaing people may be.