Keechant Sewell, commissioner of the New York Police Department, said Monday she would resign after less than 18 months, giving no reason for the abrupt end to a tenure during which she won over many in the rank and file even as she jockeyed for position against other appointees and top officers.
Ms. Sewell, who was appointed to her position by Mayor Eric Adams and started in 2022, was the first woman to head the nation’s largest police force.
He had promised as a candidate to name a woman to lead the public safety agency where he was an officer for 22 years, giving her the power to rethink policing after bitter protests against police brutality and racism.
The mayor said in a statement on Monday that Ms. Sewell had worked tirelessly and that “New Yorkers owe her a debt of gratitude.” But Ms. Sewell, in an email to the department announcing her resignation, did not mention the mayor at all.
She did not say when she would be leaving, and the mayor did not say when a replacement would be chosen.
Persons:
Keechant Sewell, Sewell, Eric Adams
Organizations:
New York Police Department