Keechant Sewell, first Black woman to lead the nation’s largest police force in NYC, unexpectedly resigns
Several current and former police officials claimed Mayor Eric Adams and some of his top advisers have been undermining Commissioner Sewell's efforts since her tenure began.
New York City’s first Black female police commissioner has submitted her resignation, abruptly ending her tenure as the city’s top law enforcement official.
According to The New York Times, Keechant Sewell did not provide a timeline for her departure but announced on Monday that she would step down after less than 18 months on the job, one that saw her gain the support of many in the rank and file while competing for positions with other appointees and top officers.
Sewell highlighted the virtues of line police in her resignation note to the department, calling them dedicated public servants and complimenting their “compassion, heroics and selflessness.”
“I will never step away from my advocacy and support for the NYPD,” she said, “and I will always be a champion for the people of New York City.”
Mayor Eric Adams appointed Sewell to her position, which she started at the beginning of 2022. The mayor, who served as an NYPD officer for 22 years, said on Monday the commissioner had worked tirelessly and that “New Yorkers owe her a debt of gratitude.”
However, several high-ranking current and former police officials claimed the mayor and some of his top advisers — including Philip Banks III, deputy mayor for public safety, and senior adviser to the mayor, Timothy Pearson — have been undermining Commissioner Sewell’s efforts since the start of her appointment.
A recent conversation between Sewell and a city official reportedly revealed that Banks had acted like a shadow police commissioner and that Sewell felt irritated and devalued by having to justify his choices.
Sewell also had to deal with other challenges, including her attempt to deprive Jeffrey Maddrey, the highest-ranking uniformed officer and an associate of the mayor, of 10 vacation days last month amid allegations that he obstructed the arrest of a retired cop pursuing three youths while carrying a gun. In a department trial, Maddrey intended to contest the allegations, sparking a conflict over what actions the person in charge of overseeing the thousands of rank-and-file cops would consider to be an improper use of authority.
Despite her tumultuous relationships with the city government, Sewell is said to have left a lasting influence on officers throughout her brief term.
Less than a month after being sworn in, in January 2022, she delivered the first of two moving eulogies for detectives Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora, who were killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call in Harlem. When Sewell toured precincts, she was so horrified by the state of the break rooms — where cops take long breaks while dozing off on decrepit furniture in spaces with peeling paint — that she commanded their renovation.
However, detractors said Sewell’s agency also applied improper street methods.
In a report released last week, a court-appointed monitor claimed that despite Mayor Adams’ claims that new regulations and training would end the practice, anti-crime teams were still unlawfully stopping, frisking and searching too many people. Nearly all of the stops made by the rebranded “neighborhood safety teams” included in the research — 97% — were of Black or Hispanic citizens, and 24% were unlawful.
Previously serving as the detective chief for Nassau County, Sewell oversaw a unit with just 2,400 uniformed police, less than one-tenth the number of uniformed officers employed by the New York Police Department.
A Queens native, she spent 23 years with the Nassau Police Department, where she served as a hostage negotiator and in the narcotics and major cases divisions. In September 2020, she received a promotion to head of detectives.
Last month, she discussed how odd it was to be recognized in stores and on the street after being named commissioner.
“I’m surprised at the level of privacy that I’ve lost,” Sewell said, The Times reported. However, she acknowledged that her time as commissioner was limited, with or without a resignation.
“This is New York,” she added. “They’ll forget about me when I do leave.”
Patrick J. Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association, said Sewell had made a substantial influence in a short period. In 2022, the union selected her as its Person of the Year, the first time a serving commissioner had received such an honor.
“She cared about the cops on the street and was always open to working with us to improve their lives and working conditions,” Lynch said in a statement. “There are still enormous challenges facing the NYPD. Her leadership will be sorely missed.”
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