>> Evrod: WELCOME BACK!
IT IS 6:40.
JUST LIKE THAT, THE MAN WHO HAS
LEAD THE DETROIT POLICE
DEPARTMENT WITH TRANSPARENCY AND
INTEGRITY OVER THE LAST 8 YEARS
IS STEPPING DOWN.
CHIEF JAMES CRAIG MADE IT
OFFICIAL ON MONDAY.
THIS MORNING, HE IS JOINING ME
LIVE TO TALK ABOUT IT ALL.
FIRST OF ALL, CHIEF CRAIG, THANK
YOU FOR WAKING UP WITH US AND
JOINING ME THIS MORNING.
>> HEY, EVROD AND RHONDA, SO
APPRECIATE BEING HERE.
I’VE GOT TO TELL YOU, IT’S
BITTERSWEET.
I’VE LOVED THIS CAREER 44 YEARS,
AS I SAID IN THE PRESSER
YESTERDAY NOT A BAD DAY, SOME
FRUSTRATING DAYS BUT MOST OF
THEM WERE GREAT.
AND SEEING ALL THE MANY E-MAILS
MAKES IT AN EMOTIONAL TIME BUT I
JUST LOVE PUBLIC SERVICE, I LOVE
DETROIT, I LOVE MICHIGAN, AND
I’M GLAD I CAME FULL CIRCLE AND
ENDED MY LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER
HERE IN THE CITY OF DETROIT.
>> Evrod: WHERE IT ALL STARTED.
LET’S GET THIS QUESTION OUT OF
THE WAY.
THERE HAVE BEEN RUMORS ABOUT YOU
GETTING INTO POLITICS AND
RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR.
AND YOU MENTIONED YOU HAD NOT
DECIDED ON THAT YET BUT YOU’VE
HAD TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT AND
SLEEP ON IT.
IS THERE AN ANNOUNCEMENT YOU
WANT TO MAKE THIS MORNING?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT, EVROD.
[LAUGHTER]
I WANT TO HAVE AN ORDERLY
TRANSITION, I WANT TO MAKE SURE
WE’RE MOVING FORWARD.
SO I’M COMMITTED TO THAT.
WE’LL TALK SOMETIME AFTER JUNE
1st, AND I’LL MAKE AN
ANNOUNCEMENT.
I HAVE A LOT TO THINK ABOUT AND
I’M EXCITED ABOUT THE NEXT PHASE
OF MY PUBLIC SERVICE CAREER.
>> Evrod: AND WE’RE EXCITED TO
HEAR WHAT THAT IS GOING TO BE AS
WELL.
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU STARTED
THE PRESS CONFERENCE OUT WITH
YESTERDAY WAS THE MENTION THAT
YOU ARE A REPUBLICAN, AND A LOT
OF PEOPLE WERE EITHER SHOCKED TO
HEAR THAT OR SOME SAYING THEY
ALREADY KNEW.
ONE PERSON WHO WAS SHOCKED WAS
REVEREND WENDELL ANTHONY, AND
HERE’S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.
>> YOU’RE A POLICE OFFICER, YOU
BELIEVE IN LAW AND ORDER.
THESE PEOPLE DON’T BELIEVE IN
LAW AND ORDER AND TRIED TO
OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT AND ARE
TRYING TO GET RID OF THE RIGHT
TO VOTE.
>> Evrod: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO
THAT?
>> YOU KNOW, IT WAS TWO ISSUES
IN THERE.
I GOT THE SENSE THAT HE SUPPORTS
LAW AND ORDER.
LOOK, WHETHER I’M A REPUBLICAN
OR A DEMOCRAT, I SERVE WITH
DISTINCTION AND HONOR IN THIS
PROFESSION.
I ACKNOWLEDGE I TRANSITIONED AS
A CONSERVATIVE DURING A TIME I
WAS THE CHIEF OF PORTLAND,
MAINE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEVER WAS
DISCUSSED BECAUSE I LED AS A
UNIFIER.
IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH LEFT
OR RIGHT.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU, EVROD, THE
THING I KNOW, OVER THE LAST 72
HOURS, I’VE GOTTEN SO MANY
MESSAGES FROM SO MANY PEOPLE WHO
SAID, I SUPPORT YOU.
SOME DEMOCRAT, SOME REPUBLICAN.
AND WHY?
BECAUSE THEY SEE ME AS SOMEONE
WHO CALLS IT LIKE IT IS.
A UNIFIER AND THAT’S WHAT PEOPLE
WANT.
IT’S NO SECRET, WE’RE DIVIDED.
WE’RE AMERICANS, WE’RE
MICHIGANDERS, WE’RE DETROITERS,
METRO DETROIT.
AND WHO CARES?
I’M A CONSERVATIVE.
>> Evrod: ARE YOU A TRUMP
SUPPORTER?
>> I’M NOT GOING TO GET INTO
POLITICS RIGHT NOW.
THERE ARE THINGS I THOUGHT THE
PRESIDENT DID VERY WELL.
BUT AS I INDICATED IN THE
PRESSER YESTERDAY, AND I KNOW
THAT THE MICHIGAN DEMOCRATS
CRITICIZE ME FOR DODGING, AS
THEY CALL IT.
I DIDN’T DODGE ANYTHING.
THAT’S NOT WHO I AM.
MY FOCUS RIGHT NOW IS THIS
TRANSITION, TALKING ABOUT THIS
CAREER, AND I’M NOT GOING TO
RELEASE TO ANYONE, INCLUDING
WDIV, WHAT MY PLANS ARE GOING
FORTH AFTER JUNE 1st.
THAT’S WHAT DETROITERS HAVE COME
TO RESPECT ABOUT ME.
I CALL IT LIKE IT IS.
>> Evrod: YOU CALL IT LIKE IT IS
AND ALWAYS VERY, VERY
TRANSPARENT.
AND THE PERSON WHO FILLS YOUR
SHOES CERTAINLY DOES HAVE BIG
SHOES TO FILL AND THERE’S A
PROCEDURE THAT GOES INTO YOUR
REPLACEMENT.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY TO
THE PERSON FILLING THOSE SHOES
AND WHO DO YOU THINK THAT PERSON
SHOULD BE?
>> LET ME SAY THIS, AND THIS IS
THE THING I’VE ALWAYS PUSHED ON
THE MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT,
HOW WE TREAT EACH OTHER, HOW WE
TREAT THE COMMUNITY, AND WHEN
YOU’RE IN A LEADERSHIP ROLE, YOU
SUPPORT THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO DO
THE TOUGH WORK EVERY DAY.
YOU KNOW, IT’S ONE THING TO TALK
LEADERSHIP, IT’S ANOTHER THING
TO BE A LEADER.
AND THERE ARE NOT TOO MANY
LEADERS TODAY.
CANDIDLY, WHAT WE HAVE ARE
PEOPLE WHO SIT IN SEATS OF
INFLUENCE, MAKE RECKLESS
SENSELESS COMMENTS, AND THAT’S
NOT LEADING.
WHO SPEAKS FOR THE VICTIMS AND
THEIR FAMILIES?
WE HAVE TO HAVE BALANCE, AND
THIS IS NOT TO SUGGEST WE SHOULD
IGNORE THOSE INDIVIDUAL POLICE
OFFICERS, THE FEW, THE VERY FEW,
THAT VIOLATE THE OATH OF OFFICE.
FOR THE PERSON WHO FOLLOWS ME,
TO KEEP US ON THE TRAJECTORY OF
GREATNESS, YOU MUST SUPPORT IN A
VERY VOCAL AND BOLD WAY, THE MEN
AND WOMEN WHO DO THIS WORK AND
CONTINUE TO SUSTAIN THE TRUST IN
OUR COMMUNITY.
>> Evrod: ABSOLUTELY, AND THAT’S
SOMETHING YOU HAVE DONE FOR THE
PAST 8 YEARS AND 44 YEARS OF
YOUR CAREER.
YOUR LEGACY, WHAT DO YOU WANT
THAT TO BE AND WHAT IS THE ONE
THING OR MANY THINGS THAT YOU’RE
MOST PROUD OF SERVING AS
DETROIT’S TOP COP?
>> YOU KNOW, EVROD, IT’S SO
MUCH.
WHEN I LOOK AT STARTING ON THE
DEVELOPMENT OF PROBABLY THE
STATE-OF-THE-ART REAL-TIME CRIME
CENTER, CERTAINLY GREEN LIGHT
DETROIT.
GREEN LIGHT DETROIT REALLY HAS
DONE WONDERS AT REDUCING
VIOLENCE IN KEY LOCATIONS IN OUR
CITY.
NEIGHBORHOOD POLICE OFFICERS,
OUR BELOVED NPOs.
THE COMMUNITY LOVES THEM!
AND HIRING A FORMER U.S.
PROSECUTOR TO LEAD OUR
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS SECTION,
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I CAN KEEP
GOING ON.
BUT ONE THING THAT HAS TOUCHED
ME DEEPLY, YOU KNOW, THIS
DEPARTMENT STILL, WHEN YOU LOOK
ACROSS THE CITY AS IT COMPARES
TO OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS, WE
STILL HAVE MORE WOMEN IN LAW
ENFORCEMENT THAN ANY OTHER, AND
NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT ON
MY WATCH, WE HAVE MORE WOMEN,
QUALIFIED WOMEN, IN TOP
LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN THIS
ORGANIZATION.
SO I’M EXTREMELY PROUD.
IT’S A GREAT ORGANIZATION.
AND AS I SAID YESTERDAY, THE
LAST 8 YEARS, THIS HAS BEEN THE
BEST TIME IN MY POLICING CAREER
IN 44 YEARS.
I LOVE L.A.
EVERYBODY KNOWS I LOVE L.A.
BUT THIS --
[LAUGHTER]
>> Evrod: AND WE WANT TO SAY ON
BEHALF OF THE CITY OF DETROIT
AND WDIV, WE’RE THANKFUL FOR
YOUR LEADERSHIP AND TRANSPARENCY
OVER THE LAST 8 YEARS AND WISH
YOU THE VERY BEST IN YOUR
FUTURE.
AND WHENEVER YOU DECIDE TO MAKE