By Christy Strawser

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) More guns, fewer problems. That, at least, is Detroit Police Chief’s James Craig’s view of Detroit and fears about a possible terrorist attack.

While cities around the world are on heightened alert following a devastating ISIS attack in Paris, Detroit’s police chief says he believes the fear that armed citizens would return fire serves as a deterrent for a potential terrorist attack in the rust belt city.

Craig called more officers to duty and moved some to locations deemed higher priorities following the attacks in Paris.

But he also noted “a lot of Detroiters” have concealed pistol licenses and “the same rules apply to terrorists as they do to some gun-toting thug.”

Note that there were a rash of incidents in the area lately where an armed citizen took down thieves — or attempted to. A woman shot at the tires of an attempted Home Depot shoplifter, and was later charged with reckless use of a firearm. A man opened fire on an attempted bank robber in Warren, striking him three times.

Beyond that, there have been numerous incidents of homeowners shooting at would-be robbers.

“If you’re a terrorist, or a carjacker, you want unarmed citizens,” Craig said.

More than 30,000 of Detroit’s 688,000 residents are legally armed, according to Michigan State Police. There were 6,974 concealed-pistol licenses issued to residents in 2013, more than double those in 2009, and 7,584 issued in 2012, the state police said, per a report in the Detroit News.

WWJ’s Charlie Langton hit the streets of Detroit to get public reaction to Craig’s comments.

“I think everyone should have a gun because guns don’t kill people, crazy people with guns kill people,” a man named Sam said.

Stephanie, who moved here from Tennessee, “Everyone having a gun? No way, no way, no way.”