How is protecting yourself from harm remotely comparable to protecting civilians and public welfare from harm?
Because they choose to insert themselves into the situation where THEY becomes the targets rather than the civilians.
That's not proactive, by your definition. If the smuggling ring exists, how is that not an active crime ring?
True, but in this sense, and in my worldview, it's because they're unaware of it until they go looking for it. How much of the Birds work in picking targets was Babas going looking for it and unearthing that which was hidden, and how much was assessing existing Police reports she had accessed.
Sivana is a wanted criminal, who has already committed umpteen bazillion offenses; him being free and out in the world is already a crime in progress, and if he's got the blueprints for an assault mechanoid out on the table, he's actively beginning the commission of another.
Fair point, though I think someone mentioned that Sivana is usually in hiding in a place without extradition agreements. So a crime is still in progress, but it's not one the law enforcement agencies can do much about.