NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell is resigning

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell announced Monday she is resigning after a year-and-a-half leading the nation’s largest police department. 

"I have made the decision to step down from my position," Sewell said in a message to the department Monday. "While my time here will come to a close, I will never step away from my advocacy and support for the NYPD, and I will always be a champion for the people of New York City."

Sewell, a Queens native and Valley Stream resident who was the chief of detectives of the Nassau County Police Department before she took the helm of the NYPD in January 2022, was the first woman and third Black person to lead the NYPD. 

Sewell, who was appointed by Mayor Eric Adams to serve as the 45th NYPD commissioner, did not give a reason for her departure. It was not clear when her resignation would take effect and who would be the next police commissioner. The police department's communications shop declined to comment. 

Adams, a former police captain whose heavy involvement in the police department was said to have caused friction with the commissioner, praised Sewell's tenure.

“I want to thank Police Commissioner Sewell for her devotion over the last 18 months and her steadfast leadership," Adams said in a statement. "Her efforts played a leading role in this administration’s tireless work to make New York City safer. When we came into office, crime was trending upward, and thanks to the brave men and women of the NYPD, most of the major crime categories are now down. The commissioner worked nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week for a year-and-a-half, and we are all grateful for her service. New Yorkers owe her a debt of gratitude.”

Adams, when he selected Sewell, said he was impressed with her "emotional intelligence," recalling how during a mock news conference designed to test how she would fare under the glare of the national media, she first expressed concern for the family of a person shot by the police. 

But the mayor's heavy hand in police affairs prevented the commissioner from becoming "the face of the department," said Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant who now teaches at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan and said Adams acted as a "de facto police commissioner." 

"I'm not shocked by this news, except the fact that she hung on this long," said Giacalone. "It's a shame, most of the people still on the job like her, but she wasn't given the chance." 

A high-ranking chief, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he was in a staff meeting with Sewell Monday morning and she gave no hint of what was to come later.

The chief, who has served under five police commissioners, said he was “heartbroken” over Sewell’s departure.

“Of all of the commissioners I have known, I must say she was extraordinary and great with people,” said the chief. 

The department's labor unions praised Sewell, whose tenure had seen drops in major crimes like homicides and shootings over the last year, though the numbers still were above 2021 levels. 

“In her short time with the NYPD, Commissioner Sewell made a real impact. She took over a police department in crisis and faced tremendous challenges from day one," said Patrick Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association. "She cared about the cops on the street and was always open to working with us to improve their lives and working conditions. There are still enormous challenges facing the NYPD. Her leadership will be sorely missed.”

Paul DiGiacomo, head of the detective Endowment Association, called Sewell's departure was "a blow."

DiGiacomo said: "Her love of detectives was genuine and sincere, and her support of the union was unwavering."

The announcement that Sewell would step down from the high-profile role surprised many.

"I am surprised it was such a short tenure," said Richard Aborn, head of the New York City Citizens Commission, a nonprofit group which promotes discussion of anti-crime strategies for the city.

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said her sudden departure raises questions.

"Commissioner Sewell was brought into an environment where crime was up, public distrust of law enforcement was high, and department morale was low," he said. "Her appointment, especially as a Black woman, was inspiring for many, but it was not a panacea. That these challenges did not immediately resolve in her tenure says more about the pervasiveness of these problems than her leadership." 

Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder — her boss before she took the NYPD job — praised her. 

"I've known Keechant Sewell since the day she started with the Nassau County Police Department and watched her grow to be a great leader," Ryder said. "This is a tremendous loss for the New York City Police Department, but I know she will bounce back."