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With the help of security cameras, license plate readers, and other technology, "it's almost impossible to commit a crime on the streets of Detroit and really get away with it," says new Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison.
"As far as being able to bring justice to crime victims, we're in a much better position to do it," Bettison says in an interview on Face to Face With Adolph Mongo, a special edition of the podcast Detroit in Black and White.
Bettison said new technology has helped bring the homicide clearance rate to just short of 100 percent, and in the 90 percentile for non-fatal shootings.
"We're catching everybody," he said.
Bettison, who worked for the police department before becoming deputy mayor in 2022, returned to the department last October as interim chief after Chief James White left. In February, he was named the permanent chief.
During the interview, which aired Friday night, Bettison said he's working on addressing violence on Detroit freeways, a response to Mongo's comment that he sometimes fears driving on routes like the Lodge at certain times of day due to road rage and high-speed drivers.
Bettison said he has reached out to Michigan State Police Col. James F. Grady II to get more state troopers to patrol Detroit freeways, which are under state police jurisdiction.
However, he also plans to have his traffic enforcement unit conduct patrols to supplement the state police presence.
Additionally, he said cameras are being added to freeways that were previously considered "blind spots"—opportunities for criminals to shoot at others without being caught.
"We'll be able to monitor that... to reduce the number of tragic road rage incidents where individuals are firing shots and wounding people on the freeways," he said.
Bettison also spoke about safety on buses, saying the department has taken over security responsibilities from the transit police.
Watch the full interview below.
