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Detroit Police Chief Offers Simple Explanation on Why Mob Hasn't Taken Over: 'We Don't Retreat Here'

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As major cities across the United States have succumbed to violence from liberal mobs and given in demands to cut police funding in the months following the death of George Floyd, one major American city has not experienced the same level of mob violence.

Like other major cities, Detroit votes overwhelmingly Democratic in presidential elections and has been controlled by Democrats for decades. However, unlike the cities that have experienced destructive riots at the hands of Black Lives Matter and antifa supporters, the Motor City has a leadership that is willing to put its feet down.

The city’s police chief, James Craig, appeared on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” last week to explain what makes his city different.

Host Tucker Carlson began the Tuesday segment by pointing to Detroit as “one unlikely success story” that has emerged in the time of national unrest.

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“Rioters there have not looted or destroyed a single business in the city of Detroit,” he added.

When Carlson asked why the city has not experienced the kind of riots that have struck elsewhere, Craig gave a simple, straightforward answer: “We don’t retreat here in Detroit. We’re just not going to do it.”

In addition to praising his police department, Craig complimented the citizens of Detroit for their refusal to put up with a group of “misguided radicals who have tried to incite violence in our city.”

“When you talk about what’s different here, we have a city that has stood together,” he said.

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Craig also praised Detroit’s Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan, proclaiming that “he stands with this police chief” and “stands with this police department.” Other major cities in the U.S. could do themselves a favor by following Detroit’s example.

While other cities’ disastrous handling of the riots and pushes to defund the police have sucked up most of the media oxygen, Detroit is not the only one bucking the national trend.

In early June, the city of San Diego, California, actually increased its police department’s budget even as thousands of leftists demanded funding be reduced, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. One resident participating in a public meeting called the police force a “city-sanctioned militia that is terrorizing black people.” She also referred to the police as “thugs wearing a badge.”

Perhaps the naive leaders of cities such as New York City believe that by defunding the police, they will tamp down the violence. In reality, just the opposite will happen.

As Carlson explained, “Violence, like appendicitis, doesn’t go away just because you ignore it. It tends to get much worse. There’s only one thing that stops it and that’s policing.”

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While it definitely makes sense to blame local leaders for giving in to mob demands, those involved in national politics cannot escape blame for the “defund the police” movement. After all, it is their rhetoric that is egging on the far-left rioters and the politicians who feel beholden to them.

For example, Sara Pearl, now a campaign staffer for former Vice President Joe Biden, published Twitter posts  in June, just before joining the Biden campaign, that declared that police officers are worse than pigs, contrasting the men and women in blue with “highly intelligent & empathetic animals who would never racially profile you.”

While Pearl deleted her tweet, she should know that nothing can completely disappear from the internet once it’s out there.

The horrendous rhetoric embraced by Pearl and others has already had devastating consequences. In the month following the death of Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody, nearly 300 New York City police officers filed for retirement, a noticeable increase from the number of NYPD officers who filed for retirement in the same time period last year.

This phenomenon is not unique to the Big Apple. The demonization of the police has created an environment where a large number of police officers want to quit their jobs as soon as possible. In Washington, D.C., a survey found that 70 percent of police officers want to quit.

In order to prevent the collapse of law and order, more American cities must embrace the Detroit approach as opposed to the politically correct approach.

The survival of the nation and the safety of its people depend on police officers having the ability to do their jobs.

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Ryan holds a bachelor of arts in political science from Rhode Island College. In addition to participating in the National Journalism Center’s internship program, he has written for several conservative publications.
Ryan holds a bachelor of arts in political science from Rhode Island College. In addition to participating in the National Journalism Center’s internship program, he has written for several conservative publications.




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