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.

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).