Commissioner Keechant Sewell resigns abruptly from NYPD after 18 months

Keechant Sewell, the commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD), announced her unexpected resignation on Monday, less than 18 months into her tenure.

Despite winning the support of many within the rank and file, Sewell's departure comes without any stated reason, leaving the circumstances surrounding her resignation unclear.

Appointed by Mayor Eric Adams and assuming her role in 2022, Sewell became the first woman to lead the nation's largest law enforcement force.

With a promise to name a woman to head the public safety agency, Mayor Adams aimed to bring fresh perspectives and address several concerns over police brutality and racism following widespread protests.

While the mayor expressed gratitude towards Sewell, highlighting her dedication and hard work, her resignation email to the department made no mention of him. Instead, she focused on praising the line officers for their dedication, compassion, heroism, and selflessness. The specific date of her departure was not disclosed, and there is no immediate information on when a replacement will be chosen.

Throughout her tenure, the former commissioner remained an enigmatic figure, rarely deviating from her prepared statements during news conferences and offering limited insight into her personality, unlike her more talkative predecessors. When asked about her current reading material in an interview, Sewell simply replied, "stats." In a departure from the convention, Philip Banks III, the deputy mayor for public safety, began delivering widely publicized weekly live-streamed public briefings, a role typically fulfilled by the police commissioner.

Questions and concerns surrounding Sewell's position within the administration emerged early on, with some senior current and former police officials suggesting that she faced undermining from the mayor and his senior aides, including Timothy Pearson and Chief Banks.

According to a city official who recently spoke with Sewell, Banks acted as a shadow police commissioner, making Sewell feel frustrated and undermined when defending his decisions.

When contacted for comment on the accusations of sidelining Sewell, Chief Banks stated that he was too busy to discuss the matter and abruptly ended the call.

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The dynamics within the agency appeared challenging for Sewell, who sought to navigate the complex politics at play. Last month, she proposed a punishment for one of the department's top chiefs, Jeffrey Maddrey, which involved removing 10 vacation days. The move sparked a dispute over the acceptable exercise of power for someone in a leadership position responsible for thousands of officers.

Chief Maddrey, a close associate of the mayor, was handpicked by him and often bypassed Sewell by directly contacting the mayor instead. When asked about the extent of his involvement in relatively low-level personnel decisions, Mayor Adams stated that he required the approval of all department heads, emphasizing his role as the elected mayor of New York City.

Despite encountering challenges within the administration, Sewell managed to make a positive impression on the NYPD rank and file during her short tenure. She delivered poignant funeral speeches for Detectives Jason Rivera and Wilber Mora, who tragically lost their lives while responding to a domestic disturbance call in Harlem. Plus, Sewell took action to improve conditions for officers, renovating dilapidated break rooms and agreeing to a work schedule that involved long days but shorter weeks, a concession long sought by the police union.

Critics, however, accused Sewell's department of employing unacceptable tactics on the streets. In a recent report, a court-appointed monitor revealed that anti-crime units, despite assurances from Mayor Adams regarding policy changes and training, were still unlawfully stopping, frisking, and searching individuals, predominantly people of color. Approximately 97% of the stops made by the rebranded "neighborhood safety teams" analyzed in the report targeted Black or Hispanic individuals, with 24% of the stops deemed unconstitutional.

Patrick J. Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association, acknowledged Sewell's significant impact on the force.

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“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 N.Y.P.D. Her leadership will be sorely missed.”

In a recent interview, Ms. Sewell, who owns a home in Valley Stream but opted to rent an apartment in the city upon assuming the role of commissioner, shared her surprise at the loss of privacy she experienced.

She remarked, “I’m surprised at the level of privacy that I’ve lost,” and added, “This is New York. They’ll forget about me when I do leave.”

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