Detroit police present $455.5 million 2026 budget, council moves equipment and program requests to executive session

Detroit Police Chief Bettison presented the Detroit Police Department’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget to City Council on Tuesday, saying the department is “basically, a fully staffed police department” and reporting that violent crime declined across multiple categories as the department refocused staffing and technology.

The DPD’s proposed total budget for fiscal 2026 is $455,500,000, Chief Bettison’s team told council. The department said 92.3% of the general allocation is for salaries, wages and benefits; the proposal identifies $436,000,000 in the general fund, about $6,500,000 in police grants, $1,200,000 in the drug law enforcement fund and $11,100,000 in other special revenue funds, including toll and 9-1-1 communications accounts.

The presentation came after roll call and a quorum was declared. Council members used the hearing to press for details on neighborhood policing, equipment, mental-health co-response and new technology; several members asked that procurement and program proposals be moved to executive session for staff-level discussion.

Why it matters: The budget request directs the vast majority of funding to personnel and seeks modest new initiatives that would expand intelligence capacity and forensic and traffic resources. Council’s requests to review specific purchases and programs in executive session signal several near-term decisions about equipment and partnerships that could affect how the department responds to shootings, narcotics cases and large public gatherings.

At the hearing, Chief Bettison credited recent workforce gains and department reorganization for the declines in violent crime. “We closed a year out with, of course, record low crime numbers,” Bettison said, adding later that homicide levels were “the lowest it had been actually in six decades since 1965.” He attributed reductions in part to Project Greenlight and expanded analytic and enforcement efforts.

Key figures and staffing - Total DPD budget presented: $455,500,000. - General fund request: $436,000,000; police grants: ~$6,500,000; drug enforcement fund: ~$1,200,000; special revenue funds (toll + 9-1-1): ~$11,100,000. - Personnel is the dominant budget…