NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell, the first woman to lead the largest police department in the nation, is stepping down from her position, NBC New York reported.
In a memo to NYPD staff put out Monday afternoon, Sewell said she would be resigning, telling members of the department that she was “aware of the challenges you faced both before I arrived and what you experience daily.”
“I have made the decision to step down from my position,” the memo reads. “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.”
It was not immediately clear when Sewell would be leaving the position, nor was a reason for the decision given. She praised the work of officers she oversaw since taking the job in Jan. 2022, hailing the department as “the gold standard in law enforcement.”
Mayor Eric Adams delivered a statement thanking Sewell for her service to the city, work he said earned her a “debt of gratitude.”
“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 upwards, and thanks to the brave men and women of the NYPD, most of the major crime categories are now down,” Adams said.
During her brief tenure, she oversaw a decrease in some categories of crime – including murders – while contending with several high-profile crises, including the fatal shooting of two officers during her first month on the job. In a statement, Patrick Lynch, the president of the Police Benevolent Association, said her leadership would be “sorely missed.”
She was never a good fit from the beginning.
A local news paper said it was because of allegations of mismanagement or corruption of some type.
Adams,and his administration stripped her of the power to make decisions to promote effective cops.she tried doing a good job but was denied so she quit.what a shame.