Detroit Police Chief James Craig confirmed his retirement in a news conference Monday. He will leave his post after eight years June 1.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig to Retire
The city has yet to identify an interim police chief, but Mayor Mike Duggan said he is working with the Board of Police Commissioners to fill the position until they find a permanent successor for Craig.
May 12, 2021
"I'm leaving in a good place, I love this city and I love this state," Craig said.
The city has yet to identify an interim police chief, but Mayor Mike Duggan said he is working with the Board of Police Commissioners to fill the position until they find a permanent successor for Craig. The board is then responsible to find and interview candidates who will be turned over to the mayor for a final decision, which is subject for approval by the city council, Freep.com reports.
Craig said the interim chief will be most likely be an internal choice and if Duggan chooses an interim chief before his June 1 departure, then the two will collaborate to smooth the transition.
Craig, 64, is a native Detroiter and joined the Detroit Police Department in 1977 for a short stint before leaving the department due to staffing cuts to join the Los Angeles Police Department, where he stayed for 28 years and rose to the rank of captain.
After his retirement from the LAPD, Craig was appointed as chief of the Portland, Maine, police department, where he served for two years before joining the Cincinnati Police Department as top cop, where he stayed for two years again before returning home to Detroit in 2013.
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