James Craig (police chief)

After he had initially worked with the Detroit Police Department earlier in his career, Craig had said he wouldn't go back to work for them unless he was offered the role of police chief.[8] He was originally appointed police chief by Detroit emergency manager Kevyn Orr.[9] He replaced Chester Logan, who had held the position on an interim basis since the previous October when his predecessor, Ralph Godbee, was fired for having sexual relations with a subordinate.[10] Craig officially took office on July 1, 2013.[7]

In his first year as chief, homicide cases made a ten percent drop, from 332 to 300, between the year 2013 and 2014.[4]

In early 2014, Craig made national headlines for saying more armed citizens would decrease the crime rate.[11][12] Craig claimed in 2017 that crime was steadily decreasing since his taking office in 2013, with data from a new software system employed by Detroit showing a 5 percent decrease in violent crime in 2016. The Federal Bureau of Investigation disputed his claim, and suggested violent crime had actually increased 15.7 percent between 2015 and 2016. Craig and others rejected their assessment.[13] Detroit reported a 19 percent increase in homicide cases in 2020, with non-deadly shootings up 53 percent, though this was part of a trend of increasing crime nationwide, with homicide cases also rising above 50 percent in cities such as Boston and Chicago.[14][15] In Craig's last five months as police chief (January 1-May 31, 2021), homicides in Detroit were up 27% and non-fatal shootings increased 44%.[16] Craig blamed the COVID-19 pandemic and George Floyd riots for the increase in crime.[14]

In 2020, Craig criticized the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,[16][17] alleging that the two federal agencies had used Kenyel Brown as an informant.[17] Craig pulled Detroit police officers out of a longstanding DEA-Detroit PDF task force.[16][17] Craig also clashed with local judges and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, viewing bonds set for defendants as too low, and plea agreements and sentences too lenient.[16][18] County Prosecutor Kym Worthy responded by suggesting that the police department's investigations were often inadequate,[18] and upon Craig's departure as chief suggested that Craig was a "glory seeker."[16]

At times, Craig made headlines by describing people involved in mass shootings in the city as "urban terrorists".[19] In December 2015, Craig said that terrorists are unlikely to attack Detroit because so many residents have concealed carry permits.[20]

In January 2016, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan designated Craig as the city's deputy mayor.[21] In 2022, Duggan criticized Craig's record as police chief, noting that violent crime in Detroit did not decline until after the appointment, in June 2021, of James White as Craig's successor.[16]

As police chief, Craig initiated Project Green Light to provide police live stream of videos to businesses to better respond to crimes there. He has also initiated programs to cut gang membership and large scale sweeps aimed at finding people with outstanding warrants.[22] In August 2019, Craig defended the police use of facial recognition software after the use of the technology was criticized by Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib.[23] The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners ruled for the facial recognition policies to be limited to still images of suspects in criminal investigations, which Craig welcomed and heralded.[24]