Face to Face With Adolph Mongo: Mayoral Candidate James Craig -- 'I Established a Strong Reputation Here as the Detroit Police Chief'

·36 min·3 clips

Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig explains why he entered the mayoral race at the last minute.

The episode features an interview with James Craig, former Detroit Police Chief and current mayoral candidate, conducted by Adolph Mongo. Craig begins by explaining that his late entry into the mayoral race was a strategic decision, contrary to perceptions of it being last-minute. He traces his interest in politics back to his early career, including his presidency of the Oscar Joel Bryant African American police officer association in Los Angeles during the Rodney King incident. Craig discusses his law enforcement stints in Portland, Maine, and Cincinnati, noting how Portland's demographics, including a significant Somali and Sudanese community, surprised him. He argues that his experience as a police chief, involving budgets, community relations, and political exposure, prepares him for the mayor's role. Craig addresses his party affiliation shift, recounting an encounter with Maxine Waters that influenced his move from Democrat to Republican. He emphasizes that the mayoral race is nonpartisan and focuses on his reputation as police chief, where he improved response times and trust. Craig outlines key issues: investing in neighborhoods beyond downtown, reducing bureaucratic red tape for small businesses, and addressing high insurance costs. He details the origin of the Green Light program to combat carjackings, which started with eight gas stations. Craig criticizes leadership failures in other cities, citing the New Orleans terror attack and Los Angeles wildfires as examples. He stresses the importance of public safety and fixing Detroit's public schools, noting only 8% of third graders can read at grade level. Craig shares anecdotes from his campaign, including conversations with residents and business owners. He concludes by mentioning his website, ChiefCraigForMayor.com, and his connection to the White House, suggesting it could benefit Detroit.

As heard by us

James Craig makes neighborhood investment the strongest measure of his mayoral pitch.

James Craig's mayoral case is framed through a long public-service arc, with his time as Detroit's former police chief sitting beside decades in law enforcement and an earlier run for governor.

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Why you'd press play

You can hear former Detroit Police Chief James Craig explain why neighborhood attention should move closer to the center of the mayoral race.

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