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Detroit police chief to citizens: Arm yourselves (Former gun-control advocate changes tune...)
WND ^ | January 03, 2014 | Drew Zahn

Posted on 01/03/2014 12:11:06 PM PST by Perseverando


Detroit Chief of Police James Craig

During his 28 years on the police force in Los Angeles, James Craig tended to agree with his state’s tight control over concealed carry permits, believing fewer guns would lead to fewer violent crimes.

But when he moved to Portland, Maine, in 2009 to serve as the city’s new police chief, he discovered a different culture – one where guns actually made people safer.

Now Craig, the chief of police in Detroit, Mich., has a message for the law-abiding folks in his crime-ridden city: Arm yourselves, and criminals will think twice about attacking you.

At a press conference at police headquarters Thursday, the Detroit News reports, Craig praised the deterrent power of a legally armed citizenry.

“When we look at the good community members who have concealed weapons permits,” he said, “the likelihood they’ll shoot is based on a lack of confidence in this Police Department.”

Craig’s statements echoed those he made Dec. 19 on WJR Radio’s “The Paul W. Smith Show”: “There’s a number of [concealed pistol license, or CPL] holders running around the city of Detroit. I think it acts as a deterrent. Good Americans with CPLs translates into crime reduction. I learned that real quick in the state of Maine.”

At the press conference Thursday, Craig described his conversion from gun hater to gun advocate.

“Coming from California, where it takes an act of Congress to get a concealed weapon permit, I got to Maine, where they give out lots of [carrying concealed weapon permits, or CCWs], and I had a stack of CCW permits I was denying; that was my orientation,” he said. “I changed my orientation real quick. Maine is one of the safest places in America.

(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Government; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: banglist; ccw; cpl; detroit; guncontrol; jamescraig; michigan
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1 posted on 01/03/2014 12:11:07 PM PST by Perseverando
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To: Perseverando

“Welcome to the party, pal!”


2 posted on 01/03/2014 12:13:02 PM PST by SIDENET
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To: Perseverando

I was a stupid fool for thirty years...

Think of how many hundreds of thousands if not millions of people this guy led in the darkness for those years.


3 posted on 01/03/2014 12:16:46 PM PST by DoughtyOne (ZERO is still zero!)
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To: Perseverando

He just left us here in Cincy after a short stint; never did mention us arming ourselves here...I guess D’troit is a little more violent...ought to make a remake of “Escape From New York” except title it, “Move to D’troit”.


4 posted on 01/03/2014 12:17:35 PM PST by CincyRichieRich (Pajama-boy-in-chief's beatings continue until morale improves.)
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To: Perseverando
hmmm.."a (former) liberal "mugged" by the facts/truth bump...a hopeful sign.

5 posted on 01/03/2014 12:18:42 PM PST by skinkinthegrass (The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun..0'Caligula / 0'Reid / 0'Pelosi :-)
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To: Perseverando

I’m completely surprised that he would admit this. Good for him. Better late than never.


6 posted on 01/03/2014 12:20:56 PM PST by skyman
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To: CincyRichieRich

Detroit is 85% black. He must be a racist. </sarc>


7 posted on 01/03/2014 12:20:57 PM PST by Perseverando (Obamanation: It's ALL about PEOPLE CONTROL!)
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To: Perseverando
Maine is one of the safest places in America.

There are two reasons for that:

1) State gun laws are not overly prohibitive.
2) Demographics.

8 posted on 01/03/2014 12:21:14 PM PST by ClearCase_guy
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To: DoughtyOne

Reminds me of one of my favorite insults: “I like you. You remind me of myself when I was young and stupid.”


9 posted on 01/03/2014 12:21:38 PM PST by cuban leaf
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To: Perseverando
Robyn Thomas, director of the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence in San Francisco, however, criticized Craig’s conclusion.

“I think at its core, his position is an emotional one, based on the idea that people feel safer when they have guns. But studies have shown more guns don’t deter crime,” Thomas told the News.


So says the master of projection.
10 posted on 01/03/2014 12:22:34 PM PST by andyk (I have sworn...eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.)
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To: cuban leaf

LOL

Yeah, and how can they get angry with you. You just explained you had changed. They can too.


11 posted on 01/03/2014 12:23:23 PM PST by DoughtyOne (ZERO is still zero!)
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To: DoughtyOne
I was a stupid fool for thirty years...
Think of how many hundreds of thousands if not millions of people this guy led in the darkness for those years.

I will give him credit for learning. Most politicians just double down on their madness.
Increasing taxes reduces consumer spending and drives away businesses? No problem, increase the taxes some more...
etcetera

12 posted on 01/03/2014 12:24:19 PM PST by El Cid (Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house...)
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To: skyman

One of the comments at the source is probably close. It said something to the effect that his “aha” moment probably came when he was told he could be replaced by someone who reflects the values of the community.


13 posted on 01/03/2014 12:25:21 PM PST by andyk (I have sworn...eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Bingo!

Too bad the people who left New Orleans after the hurricane weren’t sent to Vermont. I would have bought tickets and popcorn to watch that unfold.


14 posted on 01/03/2014 12:26:45 PM PST by Pining_4_TX (All those who were appointed to eternal life believed. Acts 13:48)
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To: Pining_4_TX

“Too bad the people who left New Orleans after the hurricane weren’t sent to Vermont. I would have bought tickets and popcorn to watch that unfold.”

Me too.

Vermont is one of the most hypocritical states in the union.

The “Do as I say,not as I do” crowd.

.


15 posted on 01/03/2014 12:30:56 PM PST by Mears
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To: Mears

Last time I looked up the statistics, I found that Vermont is the whitest state in the nation. Curious NIMBY for a bunch of bleeding heart liberals.


16 posted on 01/03/2014 12:35:04 PM PST by Pining_4_TX (All those who were appointed to eternal life believed. Acts 13:48)
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To: Perseverando

I personally know a company that holds government contracts. Because their work is with the general public they do not allow their employees to carry. I was told that Detroit was an exception to that rule because they could find no employees willing to regularly go into Detroit unless they were armed, thus they had to acquiesce.


17 posted on 01/03/2014 12:37:20 PM PST by Obadiah (I Like Ted.)
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To: Perseverando

Chicago has just about the toughest gun control laws in the nation (DC prolly the toughest), yet it has one of the highest crime rates.

Detroit resides in MI and has very lax (by comparison) gun control laws, yet it has maybe the highest crime rates.

The common denominator here is not the level of gun control, but the available number of criminals.

If the level of gun control was a big factor, Maine should be one of the most dangerous places on the planet, but it is not. It just doesn’t have a bumper crop of criminals.


18 posted on 01/03/2014 12:37:28 PM PST by umgud (2A can't survive dem majorities)
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To: andyk

I wonder how Robyn Thomas would react if she had an armed thug attack her at night, but like all liberals, she would think she can reason with the guy, talk about how he is the victim of the man and give him a shoulder to cry on, yeah that outta work


19 posted on 01/03/2014 12:38:01 PM PST by Sarah Barracuda
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To: cuban leaf

“Reminds me of one of my favorite insults: “I like you. You remind me of myself when I was young and stupid.”

Love it.


20 posted on 01/03/2014 12:39:16 PM PST by The Antiyuppie ("When small men cast long shadows, then it is very late in the day.")
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