NEW YORK (AP) — New York Metropolis Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell, the primary lady to carry the place, is stepping down after 18 months on the job.
Sewell, who was appointed by Mayor Eric Adams, introduced the resignation in an e-mail to division workers Monday afternoon.
“Whereas my time right here will come to a detailed, I’ll by no means step away from advocacy and help for the NYPD, and I’ll all the time be a champion for the individuals of New York Metropolis,” she wrote.
Adams, a Democrat, confirmed the transfer in a press release, thanking Sewell for her “steadfast management.”
Sewell took over as commissioner when Adams grew to become mayor in January 2022, having pledged beforehand to call a lady to the put up.
Adams, a former police captain, took an outsized curiosity within the division’s operations in contrast with different mayors. Since Sewell’s appointment, Adams has confronted questions on whether or not she has been granted the autonomy of previous commissioners.
Nearly instantly after taking workplace, Adams employed former NYPD Chief of Division Phillip Banks as his deputy mayor for public security, considerably diminishing Sewell’s authority. Banks has been holding weekly public briefings on crime, usually with out Sewell in attendance.
Sewell began with the Nassau County Police Division as a patrol officer in 1997, then grew to become a precinct commander, head of main instances, a prime hostage negotiator and at last chief of detectives, the place she oversaw a workers of about 350 — about 1% the dimensions of the NYPD’s unformed ranks.
In his assertion, Adams mentioned Sewell deserved credit score for combatting crime in New York Metropolis.
“The commissioner labored almost 24 hours a day, seven days per week for a 12 months and a half, and we’re all grateful for her service. New Yorkers owe her a debt of gratitude.”
