First woman boss of NYPD steps down after 18 months

‘I will always be a champion for the people of New York City’

File. NYPD commissioner has resigned (Associated Press)

New York Police Department (NYPD) commissioner Keechant Sewell has resigned just 18 months after she was appointed by mayor Eric Adams.

She announced her decision on Monday in an email to the department without providing any further explanation, Mr Adams confirmed on Monday.

“While my time here will come to a close, I will never step away from advocacy and support for the NYPD, and I will always be a champion for the people of New York City,” she wrote.

Ms Sewell, who was appointed by Mr Adams in 2022, announced her decision on Monday

The mayor, in a statement, said that Ms Sewell had worked tirelessly and thanked her for her “steadfast leadership” and added that “New Yorkers owe her a debt of gratitude”.

“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.”

NYTimes reported that the email by Ms Sewell to the department did not mention the mayor at all. It also reported that Ms Sewell was “frustrated” and undermined.

“They tied her up,” New York Post quoted a source as saying. “There’s no executive choices on her behalf. If a cop distinguishes himself and she wants to promote him, she can’t do it,” the unidentified source reportedly said.

“You have the first female police commissioner and she’s surrounded by males who have her in check,” the source added, referring to Mayor Adams and deputy mayor for public safety Phil Banks. “The patriarchy is in control. Sewell is not in control of the NYPD.”

The Independent has reached out to the mayor’s office for clarification on the allegation.

In a statement, Patrick Lynch, the president of the Police Benevolent Association, said her leadership would be “sorely missed”.

There was no information provided by the mayor about when she would be leaving or when her replacement would be chosen.

Ms Sewell was the first woman to lead the police department and the third Black commissioner in the NYPD’s history. Benjamin Ward and Lee Brown served in the 1980s and 1990s, preceding Ms Sewell.

When her appointment was announced, Mr Adams praised the Long Island police official for her “emotional intelligence,” describing her as “calm, collected, confident” and someone who had risen through the ranks.