Mayoral debate tackles crime

CLINTON TOWNSHIP -- Jobs, crime-fighting and viable leadership were again among the main topics Wednesday night during the second debate with Detroit mayoral candidates at WADL (TV-38 Detroit).

Stanley Christmas made a firm statement on crime: Detroit is unsafe and it's driving people away.

"I don't mean to be sarcastic, but there just isn't anyone left to kill," said Christmas. "I don't believe the city is safe. We show no respect for the law."

Political newcomers Christmas, D. Etta Wilcoxon, state Rep. Coleman Young II and former city Councilman Nicholas Hood III took aim Wednesday night at a host of issues, including the budget deficit, integrity, city schools and regionalism on transportation and Cobo Center.

Most of Wednesday's debate was hum-drum, but it heated up when candidates began discussing how to reduce city crime.

Wilcoxon told residents she was no expert in policing, but would "bring in the right person to the table with the expertise."

"The expertise needs to come from the people you hire. If that person failed, heads will roll."

That brought a challenge from Hood, who said as mayor, he'd hire a good chief, but "the buck stops with the mayor." "The philosophy (on policing) has to start with the mayor, not the reverse," he said.

Young focused on bringing jobs back to the city. "There are no problems that can't be fixed without good-paying jobs," he said. "If people are working they are less inclined to rob someone."

Wednesday's debate was expected to be a slam-dunk for Hood, who has substantial political experience, but he appeared to be uncomfortable at the start.

Later, he floated ideas such as putting the mayor in charge of schools if the district was in receivership and hiring a city manager to handle some operations.