DETROIT — Detroit's Office of Inspector General is investigating Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison's interactions with a local activist who said the chief asked him to remove social media photos of now-Mayor Mary Sheffield and a former romantic partner.

The city's Office of Inspector General, or OIG, is an independent oversight body responsible for investigating waste, abuse, fraud and corruption within city government.

"We have begun looking into (Chief Bettison) and the handling of social media," activity by Jahdante Smith, said Jennifer Bentley, Deputy Inspector General, on Sept. 16.

On Aug.5, the police chief asked Smith to remove social media posts of Sheffield, taken when she was a Detroit City Councilwoman, with Marvin Walker, whom she briefly dated. Smith, a Detroit activist and journalist, provided an audio clip of the conversation to The Detroit News.

As standard policy, the OIG doesn't provide details of an investigation until it officially releases its findings, but Bentely added the office hopes to "resolve it shortly."

Among its powers is to issue subpoenas and demand testimony from city employees, review city documents refer disciplinary action and recommend law enforcement agencies look into any possible criminal activitity.

The Detroit Police Department said it is the agency's policy to not comment an open investigation, a DPD spokeswoman said Sept. 16. Previously, Bettison said he acted on his own when he asked Smith to remove the photos of Sheffield and Walker, and that Sheffield's administration didn't know about his actions.

In an earlier statement to The Detroit News, Bettison said he asked Mr. Smith to remove the photos because "as a man and a father, I found them to be inappropriate and believed they were intended to shame and humiliate a woman — something no woman deserves."

Smith declined comment on Sept. 15 saying he "can't discuss any confidential information at the moment," in a text to The News.

Smith said Walker provided the photos, which he believes date back to 2022, to him months ago, and he began to post them around July at Walker's request. The photos show the two snuggling with Sheffield on his lap and kissing his cheek. Another shows her sitting on a motorcycle.

-------------

©2026 www.detroitnews.com. Visit at detroitnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.