On the list of James Craig’s goals as Detroit’s police chief, starting Monday: Reduce violence, raise morale in the department, put civilians in positions held by sworn officers, collaborate with the community, and introduce a crime statistics reporting system. “There's a high expectation that I hit the ground running, and I plan to do that,” Craig told the Detroit Free Press from Cincinnati, where he is leaving as chief.
Community members in Cincinnati said Craig is a no-nonsense chief, who rallied church leaders, encouraged citizens to be the Police Department's eyes and ears, and reduced violent crime in neighborhoods. In Cincinnati, Craig implemented 10-hour work shifts, changed the uniforms, and did away with an old policy that officers had to wear their hat when getting out of a police vehicle or risk being written up.