It really depends on the crime. Understanding can only go so far -- anyone can come up with an altrustic reason for their actions. Most do, in fact. Nobody does anything if they can't at least justify it to themselves.

[ They can't go too far in that direction, after all. It's something of a slippery slope. And Kim has heard far more justifications than he cares to think about. ]

But something like loitering requires a little more compassion, yes. There's no point in resolving something violently if it can be resolved in any other way.