Detroit Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison appointed interim Detroit police chief

Detroit Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison has been tapped to be the new interim chief of the Detroit Police Department, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced on Friday.

Bettison was appointed as deputy mayor in 2022 and previously served 27 years with the department, rising to the rank of deputy chief and second-in-command behind Chief James White.

White's last day as chief will be Nov. 8 after he was appointed the new CEO of the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network last week.

According to his profile on the city's website, Bettison started with DPD in 1994 as a patrol officer, was promoted within five years to sergeant and then lieutenant. He scored the highest of any candidate in the department on the promotional exam, according to the city. He was appointed deputy chief in 2017.

Bettison has bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Wayne State and a graduate business certificate from the university. He also graduated from Eastern Michigan's School of Police Staff and Command and Oakland University's Six Sigma/Lean Management Certification - Green Belt Program.

Darryl Woods, the chair of the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners, said they will conduct a national search for the full-time chief, but joked during the press conference that "we'll see if there's anybody better" than Bettison.

According to Woods, they have already started the search and have organized a special committee to identify a search firm, and once they identify a search firm, they will interview candidates who are selected.

"It's going to be a fair, open and transparent process where citizens of the city of Detroit will see everything that we do because we'll do it in a public forum and a righteous forum," Woods said.