Todd Bettison retained by Sheffield

Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield says she will retain Todd Bettison as the city’s police chief.  

In a statement released Tuesday, Sheffield praised Bettison’s results – citing Detroit’s record drops in violent crime – including the lowest homicide rate since the mid-1960s.  

Bettison had a 27-year long career in the police department, before becoming Detroit’s Deputy Mayor in 2022.  Mayor Duggan made him Police Chief earlier this year after former Chief James White left to become the head of the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network. 

Additional headlines from Wednesday, December 17, 2025

• The Great Lakes Water Authority is starting a new project with the goal of alleviating sewage overflows in parts of Southwest Detroit.  The authority will hold a ceremony Thursday to launch the assembly and operation of a tunnel-boring machine. The tunnelling is scheduled to begin in the spring.
• Governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced a new housing development in Detroit’s North Corktown neighborhood.  The project will create 23 new apartments and retail space.  About 30% of the apartments will be classified as affordable housing.
• President Donald Trump says he will deliver an address to the nation tonight.  The live address from the White House takes place at 9 p.m. and will be available on select broadcast and online platforms.
• Just across the river, the Chaldean Association of Windsor is holding a special street renaming ceremony.  A section of Marentette Avenue will get the secondary name “Chaldean Way.”  The association says there are thousands of Chaldeans living in and around Windsor.  The event takes place at 3 p.m. on Friday.
• Many merchants around Detroit will be busier than normal as residents do their holiday shopping.  Many large retailers will have extended hours to accommodate additional shoppers.  Independent stores may have expanded hours too, but check before you go. And if you haven’t been downtown in a while, you can look for several new shops, especially along Woodward Avenue near the new Hudson’s building.  

The Detroit Evening Report is a three-minute daily round-up of the news that city residents need to know. Stories focus on the concerns, problems, passions and needs of Detroiters – specifically residents of color. On the weekends, we take a break from the news and spend some time with community members. Hosted by Sascha Raiyn, Jerome Vaughn, Tia Graham, Nargis Rahman, and Hernz Laguerre, Jr. Detroit Evening Report is a production of WDET, Detroit's NPR Station.