Detroit Police Chief Reiterates Gun-Rights Support

At a press conference outside of police headquarters yesterday, Detroit (Mich.) Police Chief James Craig reiterated his staunch support for gun rights for law-abiding citizens. His comments were in response to reaction to the cover story in the June 2014 issue of America's 1st Freedom, an official journal of the National Rifle Association.

In an interview to The Detroit News earlier in the day, Craig said he supports the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. "It is the law, and I support the law," he said. "The Second Amendment was written more than 200 years ago, it is not the James Craig law."

In the wake of an alarmingly rising crime rate and a reduced law-enforcement presence, Detroit residents are turning to self-protection, evidenced by an increase in applications for concealed-carry permits. Local Detroit news outlets are reporting numerous accounts of armed citizens defending themselves and their families from harm.

In the cover story, Craig referenced this trend: "I believe responsible, good Americans have a right to protect themselves from an immediate threat to their life or to the life of another," while refuting the notion that he is inciting vigilantism. " ... This is about self-defense, protection, an imminent threat to life," he said. Craig reports that they are now driving down crime in Detroit, "and certainly the Detroit Police Department is doing a phenomenal job arresting the right people."