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AFI the thikive Ove KRCD talk Station. Ryan Thomas here, wishing everyone a very happy Friday. Hope you have some wonderful plans for the weekend. Bottom of the hour, Jeff Baker, who's running for Hamlin County Treasure, is gonna be on the program. And right now I am so pleased to welcome to the fifty five cars mornage. It's been years and years. Welcome back former police chief of the City of Cincinnati and of course former police chief for Detroit
Police Department, James Craig. Good to have you back on the program.
Hey, Brian, glad to be. How's everything, Sincy. I see it looks like your weather's it's a little warmer in sensity and it's here in Detroit.
Right now, Justice goes. It's beautiful weather we have. We've been enjoying some really nice fall temperatures, so I'm gonna I'm enjoy a while at last, because you can just feel winter creeping in.
It.
How are you enjoying. It's not necessarily retirement with just before we dive into some of the issues that are plaguing America. How have things been, what he been up to this since you stepped down as chief of the Detroit Police Department.
Well, as you probably know, Brian, once I retired from the Detroit Police Department, I launched a bid and started a campaign ran for governor here in the great state of Michigan, and certainly that was that was the first time I've been involved in politics. But the good news was I was certainly on the Republican ticket. I was leading in the polls up until myself and several others we got taken off the ballot because some individuals put far as signatures on our petition.
Oh yeah, I recall that. That was a shame, right.
It was a shame. And the good news is there's a bright light in it is that the individuals responsible have been prosecuted and so we're in the middle of a trial right now. So that's the good part. But unfortunately, we had a good run, a lot of momentum behind our candidacy, and I was just so pleased with the response from the state of Michigan. So you know, next steps not certain yet, but I'm always open.
You'll live to fight another day. That's it. We'll find you out there somewhere going to run for some office. I guarantee it, and probably be up with great success.
You were.
I mean, obviously we had great luck with you as police chief here in the city of Cincinnati. Somebody may be out there, so we knew it was. But between twenty eleven and twenty thirteen, you were a police chief here and crime rate was at its lowest in over a decade under your leadership.
Well, you know, I love the city of Cincinnati. I speak finally as my other home, as I'd like to say. It's a beautiful place, great community, great sports town. I'm still pulling for the Bengals so long as they don't play the Lions, get it. I get that.
Well, you're tough on crime, you always have been. Uh
what do you make of this? So, I mean we're going over a long period of time here from the original you know, riots and defund the police efforts of Black Lives Matter movement like but every city who has engaged in that exercise has turned its opposite direction, realizing what an utter active stupidity to get rid of the law enforcement members and also at the same time continually disparage and degrade them and denigrate them to the point where nobody wants to be a police officer anymore.
Yeah, you know, but I've not seen you know, I've been seeing anything like it. You know, I've worked through the Rodney King incident out in Los Angeles. I was a sergeant at the time. I saw that unfold, and I would tell you even then the aftermath, there was unrest in Last Angeles, but by and large the community still supported the police. And then we fast forward to
post George Floyd and the cities that burned. I mean, it was an orchestrated effort, and sadly there are some elected officials who turned to buy and I to it. You know, you've heard the saying this is the summer of love. And it was shameful to watch mayors, to watch police chiefs stand by and watch the police officers detegrated. In one case I think was I don't know if it was out in Washington, Sat Washington literally made police officers leave the station and took over what they call it,
some kind of zone. I mean, who does that and allows that. And the thing I'm certainly the most proud of hearing Detroit. We were one of the major cities that did not burn. Now, certainly we had pro at nightly, there were efforts made by the individuals that came out, but by and large, no looting, no burning. Uh. And people know what's different about Detroit Because everybody thought, well, the first city to burn would probably be Detroit because
of our history. It didn't happen. And it didn't happen because of leadership. You know. I drew a very farm line that saying that you know what, if you want a peaceful protest, we support that, but if you're going to commit crimes, no tolerance, zero talents to that. Unfortunately, I had a mayor who support what I was doing, unlike in some of these other cities were mayors basically, you know, these folks were entitled this, you know, this
summer of love and evicting police officers from a police station. Uh. It was. It was. It was sad. And I blame because I've had a chance to talk about this on a national level with other police departments. I said, sometimes the police chief, you know, you just want to protect and serve and if your mayor, who has a responsibility as well to protect and serve, rejects that responsibility, then you gotta do what you got to do. And if it means getting fired, if it means that you resign,
so be it. And it was just a sad day. And it seems like those things that happened in the summer of twenty twenty just didn't matter. I mean, this was an organized effort, and I don't think the federal government has ever really looked into who was behind it, because there were very similar aspects of these riots. You know, individuals that came from other places who came and embedded in the protest, and that was what ignited a lot
of the riots. They came here to Detroit. Yes, Sir, came from far aways California, small group, but they couldn't get a stronghold in Detroit. And I also command the community here and so but yeah, even Grand Rappids here in Michigan, a very conservative city that you would never have thought that would have happened. And yes, what they had riots who Grand rapets Michigan, So.
But not Detroit, not Detroit under leadership of Chief Craig. And I understand you. You also duked it out metaphorically with judges because they were soft on crime, you know, no bonds or owned recognizance bonds for you know, some pretty dangerous defendants who got plea agreements that didn't work and didn't amount to Jack's squad as as well. And
you're outspoken critic on that. So you know, this is something that's very important to the City of Cincinnati right now because we do have some very woke judges on the bench and we're in jeopardy of losing. Are very strict on our tough on crime prosecutor Hamilton County prosecuting Melissa Powers. So I always encourage people to vote for Powers, but you know, we're facing a real problem here. How did you deal with the sort of the woke liberal judges and maybe prosecutors in Detroit.
Well, you know, as you point out, you know, I use my bullet pool pit. I call them out, you know, I call them out because you know, where's the accountability for the judges, Where's the accountability for the prosecutors who decide to not do their job. They have a responsibility as well. So I can tell you Canada, I probably
wasn't a friend to some of the judges. There were some that supported me, and you know, I was you know, people in communities look at the police first when crime goes up, and they don't look at judges, they don't look at prosecutors. They look at the police. Yeah, and so I understand the accountability and being responsible to keep
the city safe. But it's a team effort. And if you have woke judges and what prosecutores to decide that there gonna be no consequences, guess what crime is gonna happen. Look at what's happening around the country. Now, you know the gas lighting that's been going on with this open border, people that say the border is not open seriously. And then what about fentonyl poisoning. See, I don't call it overdose,
and it's a crime. These cartels bringing drugs in two hundred plus a day in our country died because of sentin Off poisoning. And so where's a sense of urgency? And so you got politicals that stand up in gaslight, American public that oh, we're doing everything we can to secure the border. Comedy show A comedy show it is.
You know, I'm glad you're able to find humor and that's sometimes the only thing that can get me through a day. I listen and I just my mouth falls open in awe of the nerve that they have to ignore the realities of the open border. You were really an issue. You had a lot of programs to cut gang membership in Detroit as police chief make I mean again going to the open border. They have this trade, the Aragua gang that just seems to have shown up overnight.
They're taking over entire buildings with their gang activity. They have invaded multiple cities. They are an organized crime gang. It's you know, thanks to the open board.
Yeah, sadly, we shouldn't be surprised. I mean the fact that Venzuela has emptied out the prisons and they're coming to America. Where do we think they're going to come to American be boy Scott. No, they're committing bond crime and it's blatant because they know there's no consequences. Let's go to America because there's no consequences. And this is not reflective of every place in the country. Certainly there are places that do it better, have a no tolerance
like in the Great State of Texas. You know, no tolerance of Florida, for example. And so it's a battle. And what's sad about this People who are elected to serve who do they work for? You know, they make these broad statements that you know, especially when you go in the black community where they don't like the police, they don't want the police. That's not true. I don't care. I've worked in many different cities, you know, Cincinnati community,
especially in vulnerable communities where crime is high. They want good, effective policing. They do City Detroit, same thing, Los Angeles, no different. They want the police. But these folks that get elected, they just who they work for, not the people. And that's the thing that we have to keep driving home what's most important, and it is really having safe and secure communities. And it's possible, but if there's no
concert sequences. Yeah, I'm on national TV a lot talking about you know, just climb in general, and it's I feel like I'm a broken record, and who's listening. So I hope folks understand our futures at stay with the election is a couple of weeks away, Yes, sir, we need to do the right thing.
I believe you are right, sir, And more and more people, I think are waking up to the reality that with any if you notice, and I know you have, sir, because you pay so close, so close attention, the matters political. But it seems that Kamala Harris and many of even the Democrat senators are literally running away from what they have firmly stood for for a long time, including Kamala Harris for example, like defunding the police and funding organizations
that help bail out real dangerous people from jail. So you know, we know that that's a fact. It is a fact. So if you want a better, safer neighborhood, I think you need to vote Trump and the Republican Party. And congratulations then thanks very much former Chief Craig for being such a supporter of the Second Amendment. I know you've gotten some criticisms, but more citizens with guns mean lower crime. The word gets out in the criminal element. Oh my god, he's got a gun.
I guess he sounds like he took the quote when I was out on the cover of the NRA magazine. I said, law inbibing citizens, Yes, who are armed can and do make a difference and reduce some violid crime. And that's a fact. Now the one who criticized me the most said he has never heard a major city police chief come out and make a ridiculous statement like that, And that was former President Obama. I took the criticism as a badge of honor. Amen.
Truth to power is exactly what you did with that one. I could talk to you all day. I wish you the best of luck whichever direction you end up going, James Craig, I know that you will be a success at it, and you're always welcome to come back and visit city of Cincinnati.
Oh absolutely, I love the city, Love Cincinnati.
I know you did take care of my friend. Take care okay, you too, eight nineteen at fifty five Garasenei Talk Station. Appreciate it. I guess Christopher Smith can help arrange that. Joe and I want to give a shout out to Christopher for for doing that. It's good to hear James Craig's voice after such a long time. It's going to be great to hear Jeff Baker's voice. He's running for Hamilon County Treasure He's going to be in studio at the bottom of the hour. Looking forward to
have him on the program. Stay right here at fifty five KRSD talk
Station fifty five krc this November