We will be the blueprint

Feb. 11, 2014

Running a big city police department is challenging in the best of times. Piloting a department through the stormy waters of municipal bankruptcy is a task most daunting. Law Enforcement Technology contributor Keith W. Strandberg spent some time in Detroit recently and came away impressed by the city, its renewal and, most of all, its Chief of Police, James. E. Craig.

Background

Craig started his law enforcement career here in Detroit in 1977 and, after stints in Los Angeles (28 years), Portland, Maine and Cincinnati, Ohio, came back to helm the  Detroit PD in July 2013. Craig has a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from West Coast University, a masters of management in public administration from the University of Phoenix, and is currently doing coursework in a doctoral program. In addition, Craig is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy.

As a Detroit native, Craig loves this city, its spirit and its police department. In the following wide-ranging interview, Craig’s passion for policing and his hometown comes shining through.

LET: Why did you get into policing?

Craig: I entered into Law Enforcement for the same reason most people do, I wanted to help people and to do some good in my community. I have worked alongside some of the finest men and women in Detroit, Los Angeles, Portland and Cincinnati who all want to help people and serve their communities, to stand up for people who can’t stand up for themselves. Without men and women like these doing what they are passionate about, this world would be a darker place than it is today.

LET: What is your philosophy of policing?

Craig: I believe we are all in this together. In any department I have ever worked, I have never met an Officer who wears a cape. I have never met an Officer who has super powers. I have never met an Officer who can wave a magic wand and make all the bad things go away. We as Police Officers need help from the community, from the media, and help from each other. In order to get that help, we need to let society know that we are here for them, that we stand shoulder to shoulder with them in this fight. We must strive to be transparent. We must not be afraid to let people see our flaws; it’s what makes us human. If we can communicate on a common level with the community then we bridge that gap between the citizens and the police department and only then can we move society forward towards our common goal.

LET: What is your opinion of the city of Detroit?

Craig: Let’s be honest; Detroit is hurting right now, we have an unacceptable level of crime, the criminals have gone unchecked for years and we face a devastating financial crisis. We as a city and a department have been mistreated and misrepresented. Having said that, there is no place I would rather be, there is no other community I would rather serve and there is no better department I would rather lead then the men and women right here in Detroit.

A great man once said “Great moments are born from great opportunities.” That is what we have here in Detroit, the opportunity to do and be something great, to show the world the fighting spirit that has become synonymous with Detroiters. I believe that this city will prosper again and it will do so from the heart and the fight of its people.

LET: Do you have a motto or words that you live by?

Craig: Going the extra mile, when you don’t think you can, makes all the difference in the world. I believe that in life, we are capable of so much more. Life is hard, but you can achieve whatever it is that you set out to do as long as you never quit.

LET: What do you feel is the secret of your success?

Craig: I feel that the key to my success amongst many things has been the fortune to be mentored by masters of the craft such as Bill Bratton. He taught me so much about the relationship between a police department and the citizens it serves. I’ve said it before; we are all in this together. We must let people in if we want to build the trust between the officers and the community. Many citizens do not believe that the Police Department is actually here to help them. For this reason I believe that transparency is the key to building that trust. We do not hide from our successes and we should not hide from our mistakes.

LET: What do you like about your job?

Craig: Every day I come in there are always some new set of challenges to overcome, but they are all challenges that I am happy to accept. It’s like a mechanic who rebuilds a classic car -- every day he completes a project and gets closer and closer to the finished product. Once the end result is in sight, it becomes that much more exciting. It’s that excitement that keeps me coming in, day after day. Plus I get to work with an amazing group of people.

LET: What don’t you like?

Craig: The naysayer who say we’ll never do it, who say the people of Detroit will never dig themselves out of the hole they are in. I make it my mission to prove them wrong a little more every day.

LET: What is the current state of policing in Detroit?

Craig: The Detroit police officer is a special kind of officer. I have never seen officers do more with less. I cannot tell you how excited I am, to see just what they are going to be able to do once they are given the proper resources.

LET: What are the biggest challenges facing the Detroit PD?

Craig: When I became the Chief of the Detroit PD, the morale of the officers was lower than any department I have ever seen. You cannot expect an officer to work as hard as a Detroit police officer has to work, when they are given a 10% pay cut, forced to work a 12 hour shift and given limited resources to do a job that could very well get them killed. Since I have been here, I have eliminated 12 hour shifts, I have worked vigorously to get them the resources they need to do their job, and I have tried to show our Officers that they are respected. I have tried to show them that they are not expendable.

LET: What are the unique challenges when operating a PD in a city that has declared bankruptcy?

Craig: As you would expect, funding is an issue. We have been very fortunate within the City of Detroit to have several large corporations who have been very generous to the city and its public safety departments. We have received several brand new scout cars and E.M.S. rigs donated by these businesses. Even with those donations the department is still facing challenges. The officers have received a 10% wage cut, they are facing major cuts to their health care and also hits to their pension plans. The hits keep coming, but what amazes me is their dedication to their profession and the citizens of the city. Obviously I believe they are all underpaid and would restore them to full salary if that was in my power. In the meantime I try to address morale by taking care of some the smaller issues that seem trivial to some, but play a significant role in the overall productivity of the officer.

LET: Any advice you have for other chiefs/managers facing similar fiscal issues?

Craig: Put together a support staff that can assist you in getting the job done. Make sure everyone has the same goal and the ability to achieve that goal. It is unfortunately too common for people to be in a position of authority who do not have the capability to be in that position. Remember, you can’t do it alone. Look to those individuals to run their respective commands. The Captain that is in charge of the precinct should be responsible for not just crime, but every other aspect including the fiscal operations of that precinct. This allows those individuals to work more closely with their budgets and assists them in ensuring that their officers get the equipment or training they need. Fiscal responsibility is every member’s responsibility.

LET: How important is the morale of the rank and file to improving service delivery and achieving goals?

Craig: I have often said Cops Count and a happy officer is a working officer. Morale is a significant and vital function to the operation of this department. This department is like a machine with many moving parts. When one of those parts is not happy or not working properly, it slows down the productivity of the machine. I have come to the realization that you cannot make everyone happy, but it is my job to try, especially considering how much we ask of them.

LET: What are the key initiatives of the Detroit PD?

Craig: 1. Decrease overall violent crime

2. Improve response times

3. Re-establish a relationship with the community

4. Make the city safe for the men, women and children who live, work and play in the City of Detroit.

LET: Of what are you proudest?

Craig: I am so proud to have been chosen to lead the men and women of the Detroit PD. I became a police officer to do good things in my community. Make no mistake about it, Detroit is my community. I grew up here, I live here and what greater good can you do for your community then to give them a police department who they can depend on, who they can trust and who they can come to when they need help.

LET: What would people be surprised to find out about the Detroit PD?

Craig: I think people would be surprised to know the work load that the officers of the Detroit PD handle every day. I know, when people read about the Detroit Police Department in the papers we are usually painted in a negative light. I cannot stress how much that does not represent the totality of the department. There are so many hard working, caring and dedicated officers under my command. Officers who will go that extra mile to make sure families feel a little safer in their homes. I think it would surprise the public to know that here has been no stability in this department for years. These are some of the issues that I as Chief would like to bring to the light and resolve.

LET: What would people be surprised to find out about Detroit in general?

Craig: The City of Detroit is beginning to show signs of a prominent metropolitan city. Come downtown and see the wonderful things happening in the city. Take in a Lions game or a Red Wing game. Take a ride on the People Mover or visit Campus Martius. Have lunch at the Hard Rock or enjoy one of the legendary Coney Dogs from American or Lafayette Coney Island. Come visit us, and then tell me that Detroit is not coming back.

LET: What are the priorities regarding criminal activity in Detroit?

Craig: Obviously all criminal activity in the city of Detroit is a top priority. We need to become more open with the citizens, so they will become more open with us. We need to place a priority on going out into these neighborhoods and communicating with the community. We need citizens to speak up when crime is happening. We need to eliminate this “no snitching” culture that society has adopted and get the community involved. When we can do that, we can close in on crime from all angles.

We have been working hard to show the community that we are taking back the streets of Detroit, not just for them, but with them. I think that they have seen the change in their new police department and they are beginning to open up. They want more, they want to have a say and they want to help. We are finding new ways to incorporate them in tour planning and how we can help each other. I think they are excited to see a Police Department fighting with them. They haven’t felt like that for a very long time.

LET: What is the state of hiring at the Detroit PD? Has it been a challenge to recruit?

Craig: Hiring in the department is moving forward. We have an academy class graduating in January 2014. We have a class of new recruits just started on Monday. Obviously it may be a little harder attracting viable candidates due to the condition of the city’s financial situation but that will not deter us from finding only the absolute best candidates to serve the City of Detroit.

LET: Where will the Detroit PD be in five years?

Craig: There is no doubt in my mind that the Detroit PD will be the blueprint for every metropolitan police department across America. I believe that everything we are doing as a department will send a strong message to the criminal element everywhere, the message that their time has passed, that if you want to continue your wrong doings then you will be sought after, you will be found and you will be brought to justice. This is the message from all Detroiters and their Detroit PD.

LET: What would you like to be remembered for?

Craig: I guess I would like to be remembered, as a man who lived every day of his life, working hard to make the world a better place than the day before.

Many thanks to Chief Craig, as well as to the public information officers for making this interview happen.

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