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Mayor,
Chief
Craig
Agree to
Two-year
Contract
Extension
Chief
says he
plans to
finish
his
career
as
Detroit’s
top cop
Story by
Forrest
Johnson/Special
to Tell
Us
Detroit
DETROIT,
MI (Tell
Us
Detroit)
- Mayor
Mike
Duggan
this
morning
joined
with
Police
Chief
James
Craig to
announce
that
they
have
agreed
to a two
year
contract
extension,
keeping
the
Chief on
until at
least
the
middle
of 2017.
While
the
initial
extension
is for
two
years,
Chief
Craig,
who was
appointed
in 2013
by
Emergency
Manager
Kevyn
Orr,
made it
clear he
plans to
remain
Detroit’s
top cop
for the
remainder
of his
law
enforcement
career.
The move
brings
long-term
stability
to the
top of
the
Detroit
Police
Department
for the
first
time in
decades,
Mayor
Duggan
said.
Prior to
Chief
Craig’s
arrival,
DPD had
five
police
chiefs
in five
years.
Chief
Craig’s
current
contract
is set
to
expire
on June
30,
2015.
Pursuant
to EM
Order
#42,
Section
8, the
Mayor
has the
authority
to
extend
the
Chief’s
contract.
It was a
provision
Mayor
Duggan
says he
was
happy to
put to
use.
“In his
first
two
years,
Chief
Craig
has made
remarkable
progress
bringing
down
crime
and
building
the
department’s
partnership
with the
community.
Detroit
is a
better
city
today
because
of him.
I’m so
grateful
that he
has made
the
choice
to stay
with us
and make
Detroit
his home
again
for the
long
term,”
Mayor
Duggan
said.
Key
provisions
of the
Chief’s
contract
extension
include:
• Term
of the
contract
is July
1, 2015
through
June 30,
2017
• No
change
in
salary
or
benefits
•
Automatic
one year
extensions
if
neither
party
gives 12
months’
notice
of their
intent
to not
renew
the
contract.
If
neither
the
Mayor
nor the
Chief
indicate
by June
30, 2016
that
they
wish to
let the
contract
lapse,
it
automatically
will be
extended
through
June 30,
2018.
This
one-year
extension
process
will
continue
annually.
• If the
Mayor
chooses
to
terminate
the
contract
without
cause,
the city
will pay
the
Chief
for the
balance
of the
term of
the
contract.
• If the
Chief
chooses
to
terminate
the
contract,
he will
pay the
city the
balance
of his
contract.
Chief
Craig
expressed
his
gratitude
for the
opportunity
to
continue
to serve
and
protect
his home
town of
Detroit.
“This
represents
the most
exciting
time in
my now
38 years
in
policing,”
said
Chief
Craig.
“To
return
home and
be faced
with
myriad
challenges
from
restoring
the
community's
confidence
in the
police
department
to
positively
affecting
the
morale
of the
men and
women
who so
proudly
serve
our
city,
has made
this
transition
both
exciting
and
rewarding.
I am
humbled
by the
confidence
of the
mayor,
members
from our
community,
and our
police
officers
to be
granted
the
opportunity
to
continue
to serve
at this
pivotal
time in
Detroit's
history.”
Wayne
County
Prosecutor
Kym
Worthy,
praised
Chief
Craig
for his
partnership
and
expressed
her
pleasure
that he
has
committed
to stay
on as
Chief of
Police.
“I am
very
satisfied
that
Chief
Craig is
staying,”
Prosecutor
Worthy
said.
“He is
receptive,
open,
and
cares
about
this
city
deeply.
We both
share
the
common
goal of
a safe
and
productive
Detroit
for
people
to live,
work and
play.
Mayor
Duggan
said he
has been
working
closely
with
Chief
Craig,
Prosecutor
Kym
Worthy,
US
Attorney
Barb
McQuade
and
other
law
enforcement
partners
on a
strategy
to
address
gun
violence
and to
make
sure all
aspects
of the
law
enforcement
and
criminal
justice
systems
are
working
collaboratively
and
under a
unified
approach.
McQuade
said she
is
grateful
to know
that
Chief
Craig
will
continue
to be a
key
partner
in this
effort.
“Chief
Craig
has
improved
accountability,
response
times
and
community
engagement
by the
Detroit
Police
Department,”
said
McQuade.
“I
appreciate
much
time and
effort
he
invests
in
trying
to earn
community
trust.
His
continued
leadership
provides
much-needed
stability
to DPD."
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