Detroit Police Chief Craig Says People Generally Feel Safer Now

Robbery is down by 20 percent since 2014 in the city of Detroit, and carjacking is down 22 percent.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig speaks with host Stephen Henderson and takes calls for the entire hour. 

Chief Craig covers recent response from neighborhoods, how the consent agreement makes ongoing training a priority, what citizens can do if they feel their rights have been violated and new statistics that show a drop in crimes.

Some of the key points:

  • Homicides down.There were 299 homicides in Detroit last year. Chief Craig says that is the lowest in decades for Detroit. He says relationships with community play a key role
  • People feel safer. People in neighborhoods are saying that in general they feel safer and are walking more in their neighborhood but that it’s not perfect, there is still crime.
  • Property crime down. Statistics show a 20 percent reduction in robberies since 2014 and 41 percent reduction compared to 2013. Carjacking is down 22 percent since last year and down 34 percent compared to 2013
  • Cultural competency training. Under the police department consent agreement,  officers are required to take 40 hours of annual training and take a cultural competency course.
  • How to take action. If a citizen feels that their rights have been violated, Craig says there are several ways to take action:
    • Call the officers supervisor. They are required to take and file all complaints.
    • Call the station captain.
    • Call police headquarters at 313-596-2200 
    • Call the Professional Standards Division of the department at 313-596-2447

Author

  • Amy Miller
    Amy has been working in public and commercial radio for the last 30 yrs. She is an award winning reporter and news anchor, born and raised in Detroit.