Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield is facing scrutiny after Police Chief Todd Bettison contacted a community activist asking him to remove photographs showing Sheffield with her former boyfriend. The incident has prompted an investigation into Bettison, although both he and the Detroit Police Department deny that the request was connected to any official police action.

Bettison acknowledged making the call on 5 August, saying he acted privately because he believed the images were intended to shame Sheffield. The activist claims police later seized his phone in retaliation, while the department says it was executing a judge-approved warrant linked to an unrelated allegation that he threatened someone’s life. Sheffield has declined to comment on the investigation, saying she remains confident in Bettison’s leadership as crime falls in Detroit.