We want our laws enforced, but enforced in a fair and equitable manner - both in terms of charging decisions and punishment.
We have long learned that we cannot punish our way of the crime problem (i.e. mandatory minimum sentences). That doesn't mean that the system should be soft. Quite the contrary. The system needs to be fair, yet proactive -- investing resources upstream vs downstream.
In my experience, the douchebag prosecutors tend to be youngsters who have never faced adversity and/or have never been around the block. They grew up a white comfortable neighborhoods, went to high school, college, and then law school -- yet have never lived or experienced the real world. Hence, their ability to evaluate aggravating/mitigating factors is limited. They often are clueless re factors of race, dysfunction, abuse, and fail to comprehend that offenders' decision-making is often compromised by intellectual/emotional/financial shortcomings.
I do not share the philosophy of announcing that categories of crimes are not going to be prosecuted (putting aside the issue of finite resources and triage). Each case, each offender, -- needs to be prosecuted based upon the individual facts and circumstances.
I am a fan of "out-of-the-box" innovative law enforcement and adjudication -- designed to make communities better, safer and heathier -- yet inspires respect for the law.
It is a difficult task to be a great prosecutor. It is quite easy to be a shitty one.