DETROIT (WWJ) -- Detroit Police Chief James Craig will retire from his post at the top of the Detroit Police Department on June 1 after eight years, he announced Monday.
Speaking at a press conference Monday, Craig made the announcement on what he called a bittersweet day.
Craig was appointed as Detroit’s police chief in 2013 under the direction of Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr and is the longest running police chief for the city since Bill Hart.
Mayor Mike Duggan said the city will hire a search firm to find a replacement for Chief Craig and an interim chief will be appointed in the meantime.
News of Craig’s retirement first surfaced Friday, along with rumors that he would seek to become the Republican challenger to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in next year’s gubernatorial election.
Craig, noting that he is a Republican, said Monday he has not made a decision on running for office, but is not ruling it out.
"I am deeply passionate about public service," Craig said.
He said after he retires on June 1, "a statement will be coming," but he declined to give a clear answer about his candidacy and declined to talk about politics.
Related
Craig said he is committed to the department and will work hard until his final day on June 1.
Prior to his time as Detroit’s chief of police, Craig served the same post in Cincinnati for two years, and was the police chief in Portland, Maine, for two years prior to that.
Craig began his career in Detroit in 1977, but was soon laid off when the department downsized, and he spent the better part of the next three decades working for the Los Angeles Police Department.
His career came full-circle when he was appointed in 2013 and Craig said Monday he is proud of the work he and the department have accomplished over the last seven-plus years.
During his tenure in Detroit, Craig oversaw the implementation of many anti-crime programs in the city, including Project Greenlight -- an idea he said started as a note on a napkin -- which allows police to watch security footage from hundreds of stores and gas stations around the city.