Outgoing Detroit Police Chief James White is set for a substantial raise when he takes over as CEO of the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network. 

DWIHN board members on Wednesday unanimously approved a three-year contract with White setting his base salary at $300,000, plus additional performance bonuses. White is earning $243,152 as police chief, according to the city. He leaves the Detroit Police Department on Nov. 10 and starts at DWIHN on Nov. 18. 

Contract details shared with BridgeDetroit show White is eligible for performance stipends of up to $30,000 each year based on his ability to meet budgetary targets, oversee program development projects, engage the community and pursue his own professional development. 

The contract states White is subject to an annual performance review. 

White is an at-will employee of DWIHN, meaning he can be terminated or quit for any reason. Terminating the contract requires a majority vote of the board. If White is fired without cause or quits under certain conditions, such as a reduction in his salary and responsibilities or a breach of contract, he can receive six months of severance pay. 

The contract allows White to engage in other “business activities or professional undertakings” that aren’t in direct conflict with the operations of DWHIN or interfere with his duties as CEO.

DWIHN administers a $1 billion budget and is the largest provider of mental health services in Michigan. DWIHN served nearly 80,000 people in 2023, of which 54% were Black and half were Detroit residents. The majority are Medicaid recipients. 

Two-thirds of people served by DWIHN are adults with mental illnesses, but the agency also works with children who have emotional disturbances and intellectual disabilities. 

Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison was appointed interim police chief by Mayor Mike Duggan. Bettison, a 27-year veteran of the police department, was once second-in-command under White. Bettison oversaw the city’s Community Violence Intervention program, which paid neighborhood organizations to reduce shootings. 

The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners is responsible for conducting a national search for a permanent replacement. The BOPC will recommend three candidates, with one finalist selected by Duggan and confirmed by the City Council. 

Duggan said he hopes to have a new chief confirmed within 60 to 90 days. Bettison has offered himself as a candidate for the permanent position. 

Melia Howard became Detroit’s new deputy mayor on Wednesday. She’s the second woman in the city’s history to serve in the role. Howard was previously Duggan’s director of community engagement and was heavily involved in facilitating community benefits negotiations for large development projects in the last two years. 

During a press conference last week, White described his close relationship with Bettison. They rose through the ranks together. 

White, a licensed mental health professional, spent 28 years in law enforcement and, while serving as an assistant chief at DPD, he helped bring the department out of federal oversight that had been in place for 11 years. 

He briefly left DPD in 2020 to lead the Michigan Department of Civil Rights prior to being appointed interim chief by Duggan in summer 2021 following the departure of former Police Chief James Craig. 

The agency is governed by a 12-member board of directors. Six are recommended by Duggan and the other six are selected by County Executive Warren Evans.

DWIHN Board Secretary Eva Garza Dewaelsche also serves on the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners, a civilian body tasked with oversight of the police department.