Speaker 1: What do you need to know today? Future of America
Speaker 1: Trump as president in its breaking news happening right now
Speaker 1: you could all change. Keep up with life. One fifty
Speaker 1: five KRCD talk Station.
Speaker 2: AFI the thikive Ove KRCD talk Station. Ryan Thomas here,
Speaker 2: wishing everyone a very happy Friday. Hope you have some
Speaker 2: wonderful plans for the weekend. Bottom of the hour, Jeff Baker,
Speaker 2: who's running for Hamlin County Treasure, is gonna be on
Speaker 2: the program. And right now I am so pleased to
Speaker 2: welcome to the fifty five cars mornage. It's been years
Speaker 2: and years. Welcome back former police chief of the City
Speaker 2: of Cincinnati and of course former police chief for Detroit
Speaker 2: Police Department, James Craig. Good to have you back on
Speaker 2: the program.
Speaker 1: Hey, Brian, glad to be. How's everything, Sincy. I see
Speaker 1: it looks like your weather's it's a little warmer in
Speaker 1: sensity and it's here in Detroit.
Speaker 2: Right now, Justice goes. It's beautiful weather we have. We've
Speaker 2: been enjoying some really nice fall temperatures, so I'm gonna
Speaker 2: I'm enjoy a while at last, because you can just
Speaker 2: feel winter creeping in.
Speaker 1: It.
Speaker 2: How are you enjoying. It's not necessarily retirement with just
Speaker 2: before we dive into some of the issues that are
Speaker 2: plaguing America. How have things been, what he been up
Speaker 2: to this since you stepped down as chief of the
Speaker 2: Detroit Police Department.
Speaker 1: Well, as you probably know, Brian, once I retired from
Speaker 1: the Detroit Police Department, I launched a bid and started
Speaker 1: a campaign ran for governor here in the great state
Speaker 1: of Michigan, and certainly that was that was the first
Speaker 1: time I've been involved in politics. But the good news
Speaker 1: was I was certainly on the Republican ticket. I was
Speaker 1: leading in the polls up until myself and several others
Speaker 1: we got taken off the ballot because some individuals put
Speaker 1: far as signatures on our petition.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I recall that. That was a shame, right.
Speaker 1: It was a shame. And the good news is there's
Speaker 1: a bright light in it is that the individuals responsible
Speaker 1: have been prosecuted and so we're in the middle of
Speaker 1: a trial right now. So that's the good part. But unfortunately,
Speaker 1: we had a good run, a lot of momentum behind
Speaker 1: our candidacy, and I was just so pleased with the
Speaker 1: response from the state of Michigan. So you know, next
Speaker 1: steps not certain yet, but I'm always open.
Speaker 2: You'll live to fight another day. That's it. We'll find
Speaker 2: you out there somewhere going to run for some office.
Speaker 2: I guarantee it, and probably be up with great success.
Speaker 1: You were.
Speaker 2: I mean, obviously we had great luck with you as
Speaker 2: police chief here in the city of Cincinnati. Somebody may
Speaker 2: be out there, so we knew it was. But between
Speaker 2: twenty eleven and twenty thirteen, you were a police chief
Speaker 2: here and crime rate was at its lowest in over
Speaker 2: a decade under your leadership.
Speaker 1: Well, you know, I love the city of Cincinnati. I
Speaker 1: speak finally as my other home, as I'd like to say.
Speaker 1: It's a beautiful place, great community, great sports town. I'm
Speaker 1: still pulling for the Bengals so long as they don't
Speaker 1: play the Lions, get it. I get that.
Speaker 2: Well, you're tough on crime, you always have been. Uh
Speaker 2: what do you make of this? So, I mean we're
Speaker 2: going over a long period of time here from the
Speaker 2: original you know, riots and defund the police efforts of
Speaker 2: Black Lives Matter movement like but every city who has
Speaker 2: engaged in that exercise has turned its opposite direction, realizing
Speaker 2: what an utter active stupidity to get rid of the
Speaker 2: law enforcement members and also at the same time continually
Speaker 2: disparage and degrade them and denigrate them to the point
Speaker 2: where nobody wants to be a police officer anymore.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, but I've not seen you know, I've
Speaker 1: been seeing anything like it. You know, I've worked through
Speaker 1: the Rodney King incident out in Los Angeles. I was
Speaker 1: a sergeant at the time. I saw that unfold, and
Speaker 1: I would tell you even then the aftermath, there was
Speaker 1: unrest in Last Angeles, but by and large the community
Speaker 1: still supported the police. And then we fast forward to
Speaker 1: post George Floyd and the cities that burned. I mean,
Speaker 1: it was an orchestrated effort, and sadly there are some
Speaker 1: elected officials who turned to buy and I to it.
Speaker 1: You know, you've heard the saying this is the summer
Speaker 1: of love. And it was shameful to watch mayors, to
Speaker 1: watch police chiefs stand by and watch the police officers detegrated.
Speaker 1: In one case I think was I don't know if
Speaker 1: it was out in Washington, Sat Washington literally made police
Speaker 1: officers leave the station and took over what they call it,
Speaker 1: some kind of zone. I mean, who does that and
Speaker 1: allows that. And the thing I'm certainly the most proud
Speaker 1: of hearing Detroit. We were one of the major cities
Speaker 1: that did not burn. Now, certainly we had pro at nightly,
Speaker 1: there were efforts made by the individuals that came out,
Speaker 1: but by and large, no looting, no burning. Uh. And
Speaker 1: people know what's different about Detroit Because everybody thought, well,
Speaker 1: the first city to burn would probably be Detroit because
Speaker 1: of our history. It didn't happen. And it didn't happen
Speaker 1: because of leadership. You know. I drew a very farm
Speaker 1: line that saying that you know what, if you want
Speaker 1: a peaceful protest, we support that, but if you're going
Speaker 1: to commit crimes, no tolerance, zero talents to that. Unfortunately,
Speaker 1: I had a mayor who support what I was doing,
Speaker 1: unlike in some of these other cities were mayors basically,
Speaker 1: you know, these folks were entitled this, you know, this
Speaker 1: summer of love and evicting police officers from a police station. Uh.
Speaker 1: It was. It was. It was sad. And I blame
Speaker 1: because I've had a chance to talk about this on
Speaker 1: a national level with other police departments. I said, sometimes
Speaker 1: the police chief, you know, you just want to protect
Speaker 1: and serve and if your mayor, who has a responsibility
Speaker 1: as well to protect and serve, rejects that responsibility, then
Speaker 1: you gotta do what you got to do. And if
Speaker 1: it means getting fired, if it means that you resign,
Speaker 1: so be it. And it was just a sad day.
Speaker 1: And it seems like those things that happened in the
Speaker 1: summer of twenty twenty just didn't matter. I mean, this
Speaker 1: was an organized effort, and I don't think the federal
Speaker 1: government has ever really looked into who was behind it,
Speaker 1: because there were very similar aspects of these riots. You know,
Speaker 1: individuals that came from other places who came and embedded
Speaker 1: in the protest, and that was what ignited a lot
Speaker 1: of the riots. They came here to Detroit. Yes, Sir,
Speaker 1: came from far aways California, small group, but they couldn't
Speaker 1: get a stronghold in Detroit. And I also command the
Speaker 1: community here and so but yeah, even Grand Rappids here
Speaker 1: in Michigan, a very conservative city that you would never
Speaker 1: have thought that would have happened. And yes, what they
Speaker 1: had riots who Grand rapets Michigan, So.
Speaker 2: But not Detroit, not Detroit under leadership of Chief Craig.
Speaker 2: And I understand you. You also duked it out metaphorically
Speaker 2: with judges because they were soft on crime, you know,
Speaker 2: no bonds or owned recognizance bonds for you know, some
Speaker 2: pretty dangerous defendants who got plea agreements that didn't work
Speaker 2: and didn't amount to Jack's squad as as well. And
Speaker 2: you're outspoken critic on that. So you know, this is
Speaker 2: something that's very important to the City of Cincinnati right
Speaker 2: now because we do have some very woke judges on
Speaker 2: the bench and we're in jeopardy of losing. Are very
Speaker 2: strict on our tough on crime prosecutor Hamilton County prosecuting
Speaker 2: Melissa Powers. So I always encourage people to vote for Powers,
Speaker 2: but you know, we're facing a real problem here. How
Speaker 2: did you deal with the sort of the woke liberal
Speaker 2: judges and maybe prosecutors in Detroit.
Speaker 1: Well, you know, as you point out, you know, I
Speaker 1: use my bullet pool pit. I call them out, you know,
Speaker 1: I call them out because you know, where's the accountability
Speaker 1: for the judges, Where's the accountability for the prosecutors who
Speaker 1: decide to not do their job. They have a responsibility
Speaker 1: as well. So I can tell you Canada, I probably
Speaker 1: wasn't a friend to some of the judges. There were
Speaker 1: some that supported me, and you know, I was you know,
Speaker 1: people in communities look at the police first when crime
Speaker 1: goes up, and they don't look at judges, they don't
Speaker 1: look at prosecutors. They look at the police. Yeah, and
Speaker 1: so I understand the accountability and being responsible to keep
Speaker 1: the city safe. But it's a team effort. And if
Speaker 1: you have woke judges and what prosecutores to decide that
Speaker 1: there gonna be no consequences, guess what crime is gonna happen.
Speaker 1: Look at what's happening around the country. Now, you know
Speaker 1: the gas lighting that's been going on with this open border,
Speaker 1: people that say the border is not open seriously. And
Speaker 1: then what about fentonyl poisoning. See, I don't call it overdose,
Speaker 1: and it's a crime. These cartels bringing drugs in two
Speaker 1: hundred plus a day in our country died because of
Speaker 1: sentin Off poisoning. And so where's a sense of urgency?
Speaker 1: And so you got politicals that stand up in gaslight,
Speaker 1: American public that oh, we're doing everything we can to
Speaker 1: secure the border. Comedy show A comedy show it is.
Speaker 2: You know, I'm glad you're able to find humor and
Speaker 2: that's sometimes the only thing that can get me through
Speaker 2: a day. I listen and I just my mouth falls
Speaker 2: open in awe of the nerve that they have to
Speaker 2: ignore the realities of the open border. You were really
Speaker 2: an issue. You had a lot of programs to cut
Speaker 2: gang membership in Detroit as police chief make I mean
Speaker 2: again going to the open border. They have this trade,
Speaker 2: the Aragua gang that just seems to have shown up overnight.
Speaker 2: They're taking over entire buildings with their gang activity. They
Speaker 2: have invaded multiple cities. They are an organized crime gang.
Speaker 2: It's you know, thanks to the open board.
Speaker 1: Yeah, sadly, we shouldn't be surprised. I mean the fact
Speaker 1: that Venzuela has emptied out the prisons and they're coming
Speaker 1: to America. Where do we think they're going to come
Speaker 1: to American be boy Scott. No, they're committing bond crime
Speaker 1: and it's blatant because they know there's no consequences. Let's
Speaker 1: go to America because there's no consequences. And this is
Speaker 1: not reflective of every place in the country. Certainly there
Speaker 1: are places that do it better, have a no tolerance
Speaker 1: like in the Great State of Texas. You know, no
Speaker 1: tolerance of Florida, for example. And so it's a battle.
Speaker 1: And what's sad about this People who are elected to
Speaker 1: serve who do they work for? You know, they make
Speaker 1: these broad statements that you know, especially when you go
Speaker 1: in the black community where they don't like the police,
Speaker 1: they don't want the police. That's not true. I don't care.
Speaker 1: I've worked in many different cities, you know, Cincinnati community,
Speaker 1: especially in vulnerable communities where crime is high. They want good,
Speaker 1: effective policing. They do City Detroit, same thing, Los Angeles,
Speaker 1: no different. They want the police. But these folks that
Speaker 1: get elected, they just who they work for, not the people.
Speaker 1: And that's the thing that we have to keep driving
Speaker 1: home what's most important, and it is really having safe
Speaker 1: and secure communities. And it's possible, but if there's no
Speaker 1: concert sequences. Yeah, I'm on national TV a lot talking
Speaker 1: about you know, just climb in general, and it's I
Speaker 1: feel like I'm a broken record, and who's listening. So
Speaker 1: I hope folks understand our futures at stay with the
Speaker 1: election is a couple of weeks away, Yes, sir, we
Speaker 1: need to do the right thing.
Speaker 2: I believe you are right, sir, And more and more people,
Speaker 2: I think are waking up to the reality that with
Speaker 2: any if you notice, and I know you have, sir,
Speaker 2: because you pay so close, so close attention, the matters political.
Speaker 2: But it seems that Kamala Harris and many of even
Speaker 2: the Democrat senators are literally running away from what they
Speaker 2: have firmly stood for for a long time, including Kamala
Speaker 2: Harris for example, like defunding the police and funding organizations
Speaker 2: that help bail out real dangerous people from jail. So
Speaker 2: you know, we know that that's a fact. It is
Speaker 2: a fact. So if you want a better, safer neighborhood,
Speaker 2: I think you need to vote Trump and the Republican Party.
Speaker 2: And congratulations then thanks very much former Chief Craig for
Speaker 2: being such a supporter of the Second Amendment. I know
Speaker 2: you've gotten some criticisms, but more citizens with guns mean
Speaker 2: lower crime. The word gets out in the criminal element.
Speaker 2: Oh my god, he's got a gun.
Speaker 1: I guess he sounds like he took the quote when
Speaker 1: I was out on the cover of the NRA magazine.
Speaker 1: I said, law inbibing citizens, Yes, who are armed can
Speaker 1: and do make a difference and reduce some violid crime.
Speaker 1: And that's a fact. Now the one who criticized me
Speaker 1: the most said he has never heard a major city
Speaker 1: police chief come out and make a ridiculous statement like that,
Speaker 1: And that was former President Obama. I took the criticism
Speaker 1: as a badge of honor. Amen.
Speaker 2: Truth to power is exactly what you did with that one.
Speaker 2: I could talk to you all day. I wish you
Speaker 2: the best of luck whichever direction you end up going,
Speaker 2: James Craig, I know that you will be a success
Speaker 2: at it, and you're always welcome to come back and
Speaker 2: visit city of Cincinnati.
Speaker 1: Oh absolutely, I love the city, Love Cincinnati.
Speaker 2: I know you did take care of my friend. Take
Speaker 2: care okay, you too, eight nineteen at fifty five Garasenei
Speaker 2: Talk Station. Appreciate it. I guess Christopher Smith can help
Speaker 2: arrange that. Joe and I want to give a shout
Speaker 2: out to Christopher for for doing that. It's good to
Speaker 2: hear James Craig's voice after such a long time. It's
Speaker 2: going to be great to hear Jeff Baker's voice. He's
Speaker 2: running for Hamilon County Treasure He's going to be in
Speaker 2: studio at the bottom of the hour. Looking forward to
Speaker 2: have him on the program. Stay right here at fifty
Speaker 2: five KRSD talk
Speaker 1: Station fifty five krc this November