One man’s nightmare is another man’s dream.
The just-named Detroit Police Chief James Craig took center stage at a packed city hall press conference Wednesday to talk about what he called his “dream job.”
“When home calls, you answer,” said native Detroiter Craig, who started his career with the Detroit Police Department.
“I am committed to reducing violence in the city. I am committed to making this a premier police agency.”
To say it’s a monumental undertaking may be an understatement.
Mayor Dave Bing said so much at the press conference.
"He’s got a hellacious job ahead of him,” Bing said.
Craig, 56, who was a popular police chief in Cincinnati, will actually assume the post July 1 and begin policing one of the most violent cities in America in the midst of an unparalleled budget crisis. Simply put, the department is in dire straights.
Craig was careful not to set expectations too high and largely avoided specifics as he took questions from the media, as did Bing and Emergency Financial Manager Kevyn Orr.
“I don’t want to prematurely say anything,” Craig said.
He did, however, pledge to put the police force back on the right track once he takes over for current Chief Chester Logan.
Craig, who said the details of his contract are still being ironed out, promised to pull more full-time police officers from the office and onto the city’s streets.
“Full-time police officers with guns need to be out in the field,” he said.
Craig said he would look into civilianizing certain jobs and would work to create a “true partnership” between the city, other law enforcement agencies and Detroiters, as he said he did in Cincinnati and Los Angeles.
“Detroit has to get involved,” Craig said. “We cannot sit back and say it’s a hopeless situation.”
He said he's concerned with officer morale and said he would work with them to improve things. “I want to be sure the cop that shows up to your door (at 2 a.m.) is a happy cop,” Craig said.
Orr urged Detroiters to rally behind Craig as he takes control of their city’s police force, acknowledging the job’s very high turnover rate and the scandals that rocked two of its previous chiefs, Ralph Godbee and Warren Evans.
“The citizens of Detroit should feel confident,” Orr said.
Craig worked in the Detroit Police Department from 1977-80, when he was laid off. He moved to Los Angeles, where he worked for the LAPD from 1981-09.
Craig became the police chief of Portland, Maine, soon after and left that position for the top job in Cincinnati in 2011.
Detroit’s fifth police chief in as many years said he plans on serving as long as leadership lets him. “I will stay here,” Craig said. “I am coming home.”
