Former Chief James Craig signals public safety is the prerequisite for progress

Detroiter to Detroiter | Former DPD Chief James Craig on race for Mayor: "Can’t have a thriving city unless it’s safe.”

Detroiter to Detroiter | Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig says improving public safety is the foundation of Detroit’s future: “You can’t have a thriving city unless it’s safe.” In a conversation with Hilary Golston, Craig said rebuilding public safety is key to keeping families in the city and attracting new business. He also wants to grow the middle class and appoint an education secretary, arguing the mayor must still “use the bully pulpit” to help improve schools—even without direct control.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Mayoral candidate and former Detroit Police Chief James Craig says safety isn’t just a concern—it’s the foundation upon which all other progress in Detroit depends.

"First and foremost especially with the uptick in crime and certainly the fear it’s created throughout our community, public safety’s always got to be a top priority in Detroit," Craig told FOX 2’s Hilary Golston. "You can’t have a thriving city unless it’s safe."

Big picture view:

Craig says safety is directly tied to economic development. He believes if the city can’t secure its neighborhoods, it can’t attract or retain businesses—or the residents that fuel them.

Craig, who led the Detroit Police Department from 2013-2021, says he’s seen firsthand how instability pushed families out. "I came in with the bankruptcy and saw families leaving the city due to lack of economic opportunity, public safety and public school education."

While the mayor doesn’t directly control Detroit’s public school system, Craig believes the office has a role to play. "The Mayor certainly can use the bully pulpit. The Mayor can partner with the superintendent." He proposes creating a dedicated education secretary to help coordinate partnerships, boost after-school and summer programs, and expand opportunities for Detroit children. "Those efforts make a difference," he said.

Craig says he has the type of experience to lead. "When you talk about executive level leadership, I’m the only candidate that has it."

He also wants to revisit some of the concessions made during Detroit’s historic bankruptcy agreement which wiped out billions in debt while privatizing some of the city’s prized assets. "I hated when we sold off Belle Isle," Craig said. "It just feels different and it shouldn’t be that way."

That sentiment reflects frustration shared by many residents over the transfer of iconic public assets during the restructuring process. Belle Isle was leased to the State of Michigan in a decades -long deal that helped reduce the city’s liabilities, along with turning over the Detroit Institute of Arts collection into a protected public trust and spinning off the city’s water department partially into the regional Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA).

Craig also says Detroiters pay too much for basic services. "Detroiters pay too much for electricity," he said, though he didn’t offer a specific plan for how to lower costs.

Local perspective:

On the topic of public safety, Craig continues to support surveillance initiatives like Project Green Light, which launched in 2016 under his leadership. The program allows police to monitor high-definition video feeds in real time from businesses and gas stations across Detroit. Today, there are more than 1,000 Green Light locations in the city, according to DPD.

Craig says the impact is visible. He says he’s talked to business owners in the city who told him "When I got Green Light my business went up. I’m making more now than I did before," he said. "When I get gas in Detroit, I only go to Green Light locations," he added.

Dig deeper:

But Golston pressed Craig on the broader implications of the technology—specifically whether increased surveillance and facial recognition tools could move society toward a more carceral state, particularly with concerns about racial bias.

"I would not want to live in a society where more people are being surveilled. Certainly if it’s based on race," Craig said. But he defended the system as an important tool to fight crime.

Golston also referenced raids like those on Colony Arms and more broadly "Operation Restore Order," which took place on Craig’s watch. That initiative was a law enforcement campaign aimed at removing violent offenders from neighborhoods through coordinated raids. At Colony Arms Apartments—a troubled high-rise in the city —police conducted a sweeping operation, recovering drugs, weapons, and arresting dozens. The building had become a hotbed of complaints, from gunfire to garbage. Critics argued the operations addressed symptoms, not systems, while supporters said the actions were necessary for restoring peace.

Craig has not shied away from defending such enforcement strategies. But he now says Detroit also needs leadership focused on rebuilding its middle class. He’s positioning himself as the only candidate with the credentials to do both—restore order and rebuild opportunity.

The Source: FOX 2 used reporting from previous stories and interviewed the mayoral candidate.

Featured