DETROIT – Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison has been appointed as the interim Detroit police chief following Chief James White’s decision to step down and lead the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network.
Mayor Mike Duggan announced Bettison as the interim chief Friday, Oct. 25. White is expected to leave the department in November.
Bettison, the son of a Detroit schoolteacher, had served for 27 years with the Detroit Police Department and was second in command to White. Starting as a patrol officer in 1994, Bettison climbed the ranks to become Deputy Chief before leaving the department to become Deputy Mayor.
”When things went bad, it was Todd Bettison who went to the community and said, ‘We messed up, here‘s whats happening,’“ Duggan said. ”When things were going well, he was the one explaining what was going on.”
Those supporting Bettison are applauding his history and connection with the community. He worked under the exiting chief for six months as his first assistant chief, where he helped launch programs that helped improve community and police relations.
As deputy mayor, Bettison led Detroit’s Community Violence Intervention, which has helped decrease shootings across six targeted zones.
”When you say community working together, if we all believe that public safety is our north star," Bettison said. “If we keep that in mind, we can come together, putting differences aside, learning to trust each other. And that’s why the City of Detroit is experiencing these historic lows when it comes to crime reduction.”
He doesn‘t want the momentum to stop there. He said he’s interested in earning the police chief title permanently.
The Board of Police Commissioners are preparing to launch a national search for candidates.
”It’s going to be a fair, open and transparent process, where the citizens of Detroit will be able to see everything that we do," said Daryl Woods, the Police Commissioner Chair.
