Detroit Police Chief James Craig on CHAZ: ‘Our Community Wouldn’t Stand for It’

EXCERPT:

CRAIG: "Poppy, it’s deeply concerning. Certainly when you give up police facility and relent and begin negotiations, I think it’s critically important, as Chief Axtell pointed out, that we should engage our community in meaningful conversations. But when we talk about defunding, what does that really look like? Are we talking about leaving a police facility and now the police are not welcome to provide protective services to community members that live there, that’s a problem. So, yeah, negotiations are good. I will tell you, the relationship that we have here in Detroit with our community, one our community wouldn’t stand for, and those who made efforts to try to do what is going on in Seattle would be a problem for the vast majority of Detroiters. So, you know, I work for the community here, I listen and I’m obligated and committed to making sure that we’re continuing to give police services across this city and not a small group that will take over six square blocks and say, 'You’re no longer welcome here. We have made a decision.' That’s a problem. It's a deep, deep problem."