NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell announces resignation
NEW YORK - In January 2022, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell was sworn in as the first woman to lead the country's largest police force.
Monday, she emailed the department that she is resigning, saying, in part, "I have made the decision to step down from my position. While my time here will come to a close, I will never step away from my advocacy and support for the NYPD. There are people all over this city who want and appreciate you."
At a town hall event Monday night in Queens, Mayor Eric Adams addressed her departure.
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'The woman for the job': Adams introduces Sewell as next NYPD commissioner
Mayor-elect Eric Adams named Keechant Sewell as the city's next police commissioner. That makes her the first woman to lead the nation's largest police force. Adams, himself a former police captain, introduced Sewell as his barrier-breaking choice for one of the most high-profile and powerful jobs in his upcoming administration.
"I cannot tell you enough how much I appreciate the service, her service," Adams said.
Commissioner Sewell's tenure
But Commissioner Sewell's tenure has not been without friction with the mayor's office.
According to insiders, the mayor never gave the police commissioner the power her predecessors had to do her job. Her resignation also follows a New York Post article over the weekend reporting Sewell was losing power to the mayor.
But, the mayor complimented her at the public forum.
"When she came in, crime was moving in the wrong direction," Adams said. "She worked 24 hours, 7 days a week. She turned it around."
Praise from the NYPD
Members of the NYPD have praised Sewell for both supporting them and holding those in power accountable.
Last month, she pushed to strip 10 vacation days from Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey after accusations he apparently had charges dropped against a retired NYPD officer who chased three boys while waving a gun. Video surfaced of both the chase and Chief Maddrey.
MORE: NYPD Chief Jeff Maddrey voided ex-officer’s arrest, watchdog agency says
The mayor supported Maddrey.
"It's a huge loss for the city," said Felipe Rodriguez, who is retired from the NYPD and currently an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. "If you have a leader in a position that says one of my persons did something wrong, and she's willing to take action, you can't ask for more than that."
The NYPD's largest police union released a statement giving strong support to Sewell, saying, "In her short time with the NYPD, Commissioner Sewell made a real impact. Her leadership will be sorely missed."
Paul DiGiacomo, the president of the Detectives’ Endowment Association, said, "The DEA salutes Commissioner Sewell for leading the NYPD through some of the most tragic and difficult times in the department’s history. Her love of detectives was genuine and sincere."