“We’re all in this fight together to reduce violence. There is no place in the city of Detroit for celebratory gunfire. There is no place in the city for irresponsible gun owners. If you own a gun, secure it. If you can’t secure it, then you shouldn’t be a gun owner. That’s the bottom line.” – Detroit Police Chief James Craig in Hugs, Not Guns [via michronicleonline.com]

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59 COMMENTS

    • I did t realize just how strong of an insult “chickens*t” is until I dated a gal who kept a small flock for eggs.

      • Having read the entire article, I have no real bone to pick with the chief. Responsible gun owners don’t fire their weapons into the air in an urban area to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Independemce Day or New Year’s Eve. And, responsible owners make sure that that small children in their home can’t access their weapons. Nowhere in the article does the chief advocate a law requiring all gun owners to keep their guns locked up. If he did then I’d start picking that bone.

        • Or you could use blanks, I guess.

          I personally would not in any case. I like my neighbors, and some of them would come fully loaded to help if they heard shots.

        • Too many guns in criminal’s hands come from thefts–does not cost that much to secure it/lock it up–when we are home, multiple guns available; not home, everything locked up except for the carry pieces–in the enormously huge exception to carry everywhere, secured lock box in all vehicles–cheaper that loosing a gun, plus you are not feeding some damn POS’s income at your expense

  2. It is in my house… So it’s my fault if a burglar breaks into my home and steals it along with the rest of my belongings?

    • You didn’t even read the article before commenting, did you?

      By securing guns, he’s referring to securing them from children who might get them and accidentally discharge them.

    • He’s saying to keep it secure. It’s up to you to determine what “secure” means. “Secure” to a single woman living alone isn’t the same “secure” to a dad with a couple of young inquisitive kids constantly looking for where the Christmas presents are hidden.

      • It’s a simple test- IF your kid gets ahold of your gun and shoots someone, it WASN’T secure enough.

        It’s the same test as to whether your kid is old enough to babysit younger siblings- if something happens, they were not old enough.

    • Lordy mercy, my thoughts exactly. It’s not bad enough that every tinhorn Chief has to display 4 stars, even if that is more that one star per full-time officer in the department, but this doofus needs *5* for some reason? We haven’t had a 5-star general since WWII, I’m actually surprised he could find the collar brass.

  4. If you own a car, you’d better be prepared to pay when the car thief runs someone down. Innocent people die, because you don’t put your car in a safe.

    • He was talking about securing your firearms from children in your home, not thieves.

      But to your point, if your small kid gets into your car and injures somebody with it, yes, that’s your fault for failing to secure it, too, same as your guns.

      What’s the big rush to be a smart aleck, without even reading the article? Or were you just playing off the previous guy who made the same assumption without reading the article?

      • Why is negligent parenting the gun owner’s responsibility now?

        The object in and of itself has no will. And other people’s private property shall not be touched unless permitted. For what reason is this burden transfered to the gun owner? Privately owned guns at private locations are fundamentally different from, say, a construction hazard by a public street, which people have to pass under. The kid’s curiosity is for the guardians to tame. Securing the guns will help, and banning all guns helps even more. You’re blaming the wrong guy.

        Accidents involving guns are statistically negligible, making gun owners liable (either through legislation or media brainwash) and opening up way for all other kinds of infringement doesn’t pass the opportunity cost vs benefit test to me.

        Securing weapons from an untrained kid is a “should”, not a “go to jail if you don’t”.

        • Why is the child there? If they were not invited, they are breaking and entering, committed theft, and I see no reason for culpability. If they were invited, as the homeowner (not gun owner) you are responsible for the safety of your guests, and would be culpable if your guest harmed themselves or others.

      • Apparently you haven’t been in the inner city lately, where 12 year olds jack cars at the point of a shotgun. I have a feeling he didn’t get the gun from his daddy but its your fault if you didn’t secure your car from him.

  6. Celebratory gunfire? Like the troglodytes in the ME?
    Detroit either has too much lead in the water or not enough.

    • It’s a thing. When I was a youth in WV and over in KY the good old boys celebrated New Years eve by shooting into the air at midnight after drinking copious amounts.

      Trailer parks are a vast source of entertainment.

      • “It was a local tradition in years past to set fire to houses the night before Halloween.”

        Can I correctly infer from your comment that is no longer a tradition? Assuming that setting houses on fire is no longer a tradition, what was the change agent?

    • It’s a NYE thing in Philly, too. The “2nd Street Shooters” (a Mummers Fancy Brigade) have that name for a reason…

  7. I must have missed the part where he says you have to lock it up. It goes without saying that you must keep it away from children. Actually what he said seems like sound advice to me.

    • Yeah I think people here are overreacting. Chief Craig has made several comments in the past that seem supportive of gun owners in general. I think he’s trying to encourage responsible gun ownership which is a new idea for many in places like Detroit.

      It would take too long for him to explain exactly what he means by locking up the guns but I assume he’s fine with someone carrying on their person. My guns all stay locked up, except the one on me!

  9. Depending on what he means by “secure”, Chief Craig is right. The context of the article suggests this was a conversation about making sure legally owned guns don’t end up in the hands of children.

    My gun’s secure right now at my side in a coffee shop in (gasp) Detroit! Michigan! (Sister Pie. Good coffee. And pies.) Which is where it belongs when it’s not secured in a safe or other locale where little fingers can’t get their hands on it.

    I don’t know for sure, but I suspect Mr. Craig might be on board with my definition. In the past he’s said stuff such as:

    “A lot of Detroiters have CPLs (concealed pistol licenses), and the same rules apply to terrorists as they do to some gun-toting thug,” Chief James Craig said. “If you’re a terrorist, or a carjacker, you want unarmed citizens.”

    http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2015/12/01/police-chief-says-armed-detroit-cut-terror-risk/76592116/

    And:

    “Criminals are getting the message that good Detroiters are armed and will use that weapon,” said Chief Craig, who has been an open advocate for private gun ownership, the Detroit News reported. “I don’t want to take away from the good work our investigators are doing, but I think part of the drop in crime, and robberies in particular, is because criminals are thinking twice that citizens could be armed.

    http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jul/16/detroit-police-chief-no-question-my-mind-legal-gun/

    • That was my takeaway from the article as well, especially given my understanding of Chief Craig’s stance on armed citizenry and the Second Amendment. The folks who seem to believe that he’s somehow blaming victims of gun theft for violent crime involving guns, strike me as really reaching for a reason to be pissed off at him.

  10. I don’t think those comments are out of line. Remember, Chief Craig is on record as being in favor of CCW. As for “celebratory gunfire” and unsecured firearms getting into the hands of kids (read the whole article, not just the out of context and incomplete quote above), if the shoe fits, wear it!

  11. The chiefs comments are fair. Yes this is the same police chief who told citizens to arm them selves and protect themselves. If I remember correct him even quoted – when seconds count we are minutes away.

    He has publically credited the drops in violent crimes to the fact that criminals are learning the hard way that Detroits citizens are arming them selves and protection themselves.

    I have no issues with this man and would love to see more big city chiefs operate the way this man seems to.

    • Agree. I didn’t find any inflammatory hoplophobic statements. The article is about curbing violence in general and protecting children from accidental shootings in the home. Chief Craig is making some sense out of a senseless situation by inviting buy-in from the responsible adults (and teens) in the Detroit area.

  13. I’ve caught a lot of flak over the years from people who think that keeping their firearms under lock and key (or biometrics, push buttons, etc.) is for sissies, wusses, and other less than manly men. Having had a firearm stolen in a housebreaking, I don’t give a tinker’s damn what they think. Every one of my 50+ firearms is ensconced in a safe and I’m not going to buy any more until I can afford to buy another safe first. Three of the safes are push-button combination, each contains a loaded round-in-the-chamber handgun, and they are located in various locations about the house where I can get to them quickly should the necessity arise. I have practiced entering the combinations on the keypads to where I can access those firearms quickly, yet I don’t have to worry about my grandcritter being inquisitive when he gets older.

    As for discharging celebratory rounds into the air, Sir Isaac Newton figured that out over 300 years ago and nobody has proved him wrong yet – “What goes up must come down.” If you must discharge a firearm to celebrate, buy some blanks and a BFA so that your celebration doesn’t turn into somebody else’s tragedy. It’s been known to happen.

  14. It’s important to put his whole quote here, as the two sentences after what is listed are pretty important for context.

    “If you can’t secure it, then you shouldn’t be a gun owner. That’s the bottom line. We’ve had too many accidental deaths of children and that’s certainly not acceptable. So, we absolutely need to do better.”

  15. I’m tired of this guy.

    He ignores preemption by ilegally keeping OC and CCW out of Detroit Police Stations.

    Many DPD officers are VERY ignorant about gun laws.

    Many DPD officers are aware and don’t care, especially if the person is black.

    Yet the NRA treats Craig as if he’s a darling of the cause.

    DPD should be disbanded for being the slobs that they are. Let 300 police the streets or one of the private police forces that have popped up in the city.

  16. The guy is obviously an anti. But on the face of it, his comments make sense.

    1) Secure your firearms
    2) Don’t shoot into the air.

    Where’s the problem here?

    Don

    • “this guy is obviously anti”

      No, he’s not. Do a little searching or just read some of the other comments. He’s in favor of CCW. He even encourages folks to carry (legally).

  17. He’s saying that owning a gun comes with responsibilities.

    I don’t think any of us would disagree with that.

  19. Enquiring minds want to know-does the Chief require his PD to be as secure with firearms as he demands from the citizenry? Or are standards (as usual) different for The Only Ones ™ ?

  20. I read the article. Nothing bad in it. Some are just here to troll…this Detroit dude sounds a helluva’ lot better than his Chicago compatriots.

  21. I’m still waiting for the day when there’s no place in the City of Detroit for cops who abuse gun owners for lawfully carrying guns.

    What your subordinates repeatedly do to citizens without fear of reprisal matters more than what you say at a press conference.

  22. Well, I am somewhat mystified by some of the comments. First, it is obvious some did not read the article, or take the time to research the guy. Second, I keep my firearms in a large, heavy safe, anchored to the floor and two walls (safe is in a corner). Thieves will have their work cut out for them. Oh yeah, no kids in the household. Guess I must be one of those extremists.

  23. Sheesh, reading these comments is almost as bad as watching “the view”.

    Like a hen house in here…….

  24. Even as a stand-alone quote (without reading the entire article), I see nothing wrong with what he said.

    If we get to the point where we have to start handing out trigger warnings and safety pins before people read an article here, I’m leaving.

  25. That there’s even such a press conference is evidence of the problem.

    No more “We’re f’d up, we need to fix you from (D)etroit”.

  27. “Celebratory Gunfire” is a part of some peoples’ cultural heritage, so banning it may well violate their cultural rights and be ray-sis!

    • All over WV and KY I used to watch folks firing their guns in the air in celebration. That Scots Irish culture needs to be controlled.

  28. The chief didn’t say anything wrong. The Second Amendment guarantees our right to bear arms, not our right to be morons with guns. He didn’t say anything about legislation, he simply said to secure your firearms and don’t shoot them blindly into the air. Both of those are examples of plain old good advice.

  29. “There is no place in the city of Detroit for celebratory gunfire.”

    That’s the whole problem right there.

    The Motorless City should have a safe space for celebratory gunfire. And why not? If Baltimorons can have room to destroy, Detridiots should have a place to celebrate. It’s only fair.

    • The celebatory zones are defined as such: not less than 20 miles directly south of Detroit, not less than 3 miles directly NE of Detroit.

      :p

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