Before being named police chief, Bettison had spent 27 years with the department. In 2022, he was named deputy mayor for the city of Detroit. In October 2024, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan appointed him as the city’s interim police chief following the resignation of former police chief James White. 

One Detroit contributor Nolan Finley, editorial page editor of the Detroit News, sat down with Bettison to discuss the city’s Community Violence Intervention (CVI) program.

“This is the safest right now in 60 years that Detroit has ever been,” Bettison said. 

Still, Bettison intends to improve safety in the city by utilizing technology, continuing the community violence intervention program, and collaborating with law enforcement partners.  

He also talked about the community violence intervention groups’ additional efforts to curb violence, such as mentoring young people who are in juvenile detention facilities and partnering with schools to teach conflict resolution skills to students. 

“We’re going to continue to use every tool in the toolbox to provide safety for our residents and our visitors,” he said.