Detroit Police Chief: Some Cities Would ‘Rather See Businesses Burn, Looting, Police Officers Attacked’

During an interview aired on Friday’s broadcast of the Fox Business Network’s “WSJ at Large,” Detroit Police Chief James Craig praised his relationship with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and how the city has handled violence and lamented that “in some other cities, they’ve taken away the tools from officers. They’d rather see businesses burn, looting, police officers attacked.”

Craig said, “I am fortunate, unlike a lot of my colleagues in other cities, I work with a mayor who trusts my judgment. The mayor, Mayor Duggan, who was a former prosecutor, he understands the importance of creating a safe city and dealing with mitigating violence, and using appropriate levels of force when necessary to quell it. Unfortunately, in some other cities, they’ve taken away the tools from officers. They’d rather see businesses burn, looting, police officers attacked. And while we saw several upticks of violence, there was no looting, no burning, and there were some early attacks on our police officers, but we draw a very firm line. That is not going to happen. What we’re dealing with today, and just like all the other cities, these individuals are masters, and I mean masterful at really changing the narrative. And they do it because they’re trying to incite violence. They’re trying to [get] others to join their cause. And here in Detroit, they’ve had little or no success. And so, there’s a lot of frustration on their part. And then, their internal leadership is severely broken. So, — but you’re right, the relationship between the police chief and the mayor primarily, it’s really critical.”

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