Detroit sergeant, officer suspended without pay after calling Border Patrol during traffic stops
A Detroit police sergeant and officer were suspended without pay for 30 days on Thursday following a vote from the Board of Police Commissioners.
The board unanimously approved the suspension that would allow the officers to still receive their medical benefits.
"[In] 30 days, then the chief will come back to us, cause they're still gonna do further review. And then at that point, whenever they conduct and conclude their further review of this case, then they will bring it back before us and whatever their decision is," said board member Beverly Watts. "There's no timeline. We'll wait to see."
The vote comes after Police Chief Todd Bettison called for the suspension after the two officers called U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents during traffic stops. Bettison, who says he planned to terminate both officers, says it is against department policy to call federal agents when seeking translation services.
Bettison says the calls resulted in the individuals being detained by federal agents.
"Contacting Border Patrol, ICE or other federal agencies for translation services is strictly prohibited, as it subjects individuals to extreme scrutiny," Bettison said last week during a commissioners meeting, adding that the department is working with a company that offers certified translation services.
"There's absolutely no reason to contact federal law enforcement agencies to assist with translation services."
Bettison says the two incidents happened in the last few months, on Dec. 16, 2025, and Feb. 9, 2026.
According to Bettison, the December incident was found during a routine audit of body-worn cameras.
Bettison said that a police officer was investigating an individual on a felony warrant at a location on the west side. The officer, according to Bettison, believed the individual was not a U.S. citizen and contacted Border Patrol. Border Patrol responded and took the individual.
Bettison said that two months later, in February, a sergeant responded to a request for a supervisor at a traffic stop. The sergeant learned that the individual did not speak English and called Border Patrol. Bettison says federal agents "conducted their investigation" and determined that the person was not a U.S. citizen.
The sergeant and officer were initially suspended with pay, but on Feb. 12, Bettison submitted a request to the board for the suspension to be without pay.
"I will say this to everyone that 98, 99% of our officers do it the right way each and every day. They're out there working hard. But I do have 1, 2% that decide to violate our rules, our policies and our procedures. And to those officers, I will hold them accountable," Bettison said.
