Mayor names Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison as Interim Chief of Police to replace departing James White

Prior to being named Deputy Mayor, Bettison retired as 1^st Assistant Chief of Police, following a distinguished 27-year law enforcement career
Bettison has long-standing relationships with DPD officers, collaborative partnerships with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies
Bettison also established deep trust with grass roots community partners and initiated the successful ShotStoppers community violence intervention program which has contributed to a reduction in violent crime
Board of Police Commissioners to conduct national search for fulltime replacement; candidate to be selected by Mayor and approved by City Council

Mayor Mike Duggan announced today he has named Todd Bettison as Interim Chief of Police of the Detroit Police Department. Bettison will replace James E. White, who served as the Chief of Police for the last three years and who will depart next month to become the new CEO of the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network.

Bettison had a distinguished 27-year career at DPD, retiring as 1st Assistant Chief of Police – the second highest ranking member of the department – before accepting the position of Deputy Mayor in 2021. In both roles, Bettison is highly regarded and deeply respected for his leadership skills, management ability and strong connection with the community.

“Todd is more than qualified to lead and continue the great work started by Chief White and being done by the men and women of DPD,” said Mayor Duggan. “Todd has tremendous respect and support among officers, our law enforcement partners, and the community and I know he’ll do a great job."

Bettison pic1 — Mayor Duggan expresses his confidence in Todd Bettison after naming him Interim Chief of Police.

Throughout his career at DPD, Bettison was one of the fastest rising members of the department. His career with DPD began in 1994 as a patrol officer. Bettison was promoted to the rank of sergeant within five years of starting his career. Just one year later, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, scoring the highest of any candidate in the department with each promotion. Bettison’s rapid rise continued as he was promoted to the ranks of Inspector, Captain, Commander, Deputy Chief, Assistant Chief and eventually 1st Assistant Chief in 2021 by Chief White.

During his time with DPD, Todd Bettison was able to establish and maintain critical relationships with community members and local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Bettison’s unique ability to gain the trust of the community while simultaneously earning the respect of his fellow police officers was one of the driving forces in Mayor Duggan’s decision to name Bettison Deputy Mayor in 2022.

As Deputy Mayor, Todd Bettison illustrated that his capabilities were not just exclusive to law enforcement. Bettison oversaw numerous departments:

Detroit Fire Department
Emergency Management and Homeland Security
Building Safety, Engineering, & Environmental Enforcement
Community and Faith Based Affairs
Civil Rights, Inclusion, & Opportunity
Government Affairs
Detroit Department of Transpiration
Health Department
Planning Department

Bettison pic2 — Deputy Mayor Bettison is excited to return to the Detroit Police Department and is grateful for his experience working in the Mayor's Office.

Deputy Mayor Bettison has been a true asset in his role as Deputy Mayor with his extensive law enforcement background and his ability to bring diverse groups together. Under his leadership, the Community Violence Intervention (CVI) ShotStoppers program has led to reductions in crime in some of the most violent neighborhoods in Detroit between 30% and 70%. Crime in non-CVI areas dropped on average 23%.

“When Mayor Duggan offered me an opportunity to serve the citizens of Detroit as Interim Chief of Police and lead the finest group of officers in the nation, it was an irresistible opportunity that I immediately accepted,” Bettison said. “Chief White and his executive leadership team along with the members of DPD have done a great job of consistently driving down violent crime year over year and I look forward to working with them and our residents to continue these reductions.”

Bettison pic3 — Deputy Mayor is joined by his wife Tracie Bettison and mother-in-law Christine Griffin.

Next steps

Under the City Charter, the next step in finding a new permanent Chief of Police, will be for the Board of Police Commissioners to conduct a national search and generate a list of candidates, from which the Mayor will interview and make his selection.

The Charter also states that the Chief of Police must first be confirmed by a majority vote of Detroit City Council. Mayor Duggan said he hopes to have a new Chief selected and confirmed in the next 60-90 days. Bettison has indicated to the Mayor that he intends to also be a candidate to become the city’s permanent Chief.

Mayor Duggan said that by the time Chief White leaves on November 10 and Bettison assumes the Interim role, he also will name a new Deputy Mayor.

“Serving as Chief of the Detroit Police Department has truly been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I am proud to turn over such a great agency staffed by exceptional police personnel and talented civilians,” said Chief James E. White. “I am looking forward to assisting with Chief Todd Bettison’s transition, and I am confident that he will be an outstanding Chief and a great leader for the Detroit Police Department. Todd served many years in the police department prior to becoming Deputy Mayor. He was my 1^st Assistant Chief. Todd is conscientious, community-oriented, extremely talented, and hardworking. I am confident he will continue to successfully lead the Detroit Police Department.”

Although the Board of Police Commissioners does not vote on selecting the Interim Chief of Police, several members have voiced their support for Mayor Duggan's selection of Todd Bettison.

“We look forward to rolling up our sleeves to conduct a national search under our charter mandated duties,” said Chair of the Board of Police Commissioners, Darryl Woods. “I strongly support the selection of Todd Bettison to be interim Chief. He has proven to be an effective leader with the ability to serve and protect the citizens of Detroit.”

Bettison holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Wayne State University in Criminal Justice and a Graduate Business Certificate from the Mike Ilitch School of Business. He is also a graduate of Eastern Michigan University's Staff and Command and Oakland University's Six Sigma/Lean Management Certification-Green Belt Program.