Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield on Tuesday announced the reappointment of Chief Todd Bettison to continue serving as Detroit chief of police.
During her campaign, Sheffield championed Bettison as a key contributor to the city’s decrease in violent crime through community violence intervention.
The city claims Detroit has seen record drops in violent crime since Bettison took over as chief. Homicides are the lowest they’ve been in decades and nonfatal shootings have been cut in half between 2022 and 2024. The number of reported carjackings have also fallen 71% since 2015.
Sheffield and Chief Bettison say they share a commitment to create a new Office of Gun Violence Prevention that would work with grassroots partners to ensure meaningful engagement with residents to shape public safety policy.
The mayor-elect’s transition team said in a statement Tuesday that more details about the office will be released in the new year.
“It is an honor to be selected by Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield to continue serving as the Detroit Police Chief under her administration,” Chief Bettison said. “During my time as chief, I have had the pleasure to work hand in hand with our Mayor-elect to keep the citizens of Detroit safe. Over the past year, the Detroit Police Department has witnessed violent crime continue to drop to historic lows in the city—and I am confident we will close out 2025 with even more historic low violent crime levels.”
Bettison said in a statement his goal is to enhance neighborhood safety and continue pushing violent crime crime down.
“There’s nothing more important to the community and me as mayor than improving public safety,” said Mayor-elect Sheffield. “It’s rare to have a Chief of Police who has the respect of their peers, the loyalty of the rank and file, and the hearts and trust of the people. That is precisely what we have in Chief Bettison, who brings with him nearly 3 decades of service to our great City as a member of the Detroit Police Department.”
Sheffield cited Bettison’s ties within Detroit neighborhoods. Prior to being named Chief of Police in February 2025, Bettison spent 27-year career at the Detroit Police Department, retiring as First Assistant Chief of Police—the second-highest-ranking member of the department—before becoming Deputy Mayor in 2022.
He was named chief earlier this year after former police chief James White resigned to lead the county mental health authority, DWIHN.
“I am excited that Madam Mayor Elect Sheffield is giving me another opportunity to continue to work in making Detroit one of the safest cities in America and I know with her guidance and support, this goal will become a reality,” Bettison said.
Bettison has been an active voice in advocating for state funding of community violence intervention. He’s been to Lansing to push lawmakers to pass bills that would send money for Detroit groups that serve as case workers amid communities dealing with violent crime.
“I’m fighting for our CVI groups to be able to continue to do the good work — it’s cops, it’s people, community and it’s also technology, that is going to continue to help us move forward and push crime down and stop the cycle of violence,” Bettison said this year in an interview in Lansing.
