NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell stepping down
NEW YORK -- NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell will soon leave her post, just a year and a half after taking the job.
It's unclear why she is resigning, but in an internal memo to the department, Sewell wrote, "I have made the decision to step down from my position," adding "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 became the first woman to lead the NYPD in January 2022 at the appointment of Mayor Eric Adams after spending the entirety of her career in Nassau County. She came to a city still reeling from the pandemic, with lingering tensions between police and the public and major crime trending upwards.
"It was a really difficult time and it was a time that tested the NYPD," said Ben Tucker, a former first deputy commissioner of the department who retired shortly before Sewell was sworn in. "People saw her as a leader in that she was professional. She was thoughtful. She was clearly focused on the work."
Sewell faced one of her first major challenges just a couple weeks after being sworn in when officers Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora were shot and killed in Harlem.
Later, Michelle Go, an Asian-American Deloitte employee was randomly pushed onto subway tracks and killed in Times Square.
Throughout her tenure, Sewell oversaw a 27-year high in gun arrests and is leaving with most major crime categories lower than when she came.
Sewell was also at the helm at a time of much controversy around the NYPD, including its reinstatement of anti-crime teams, its sweeps of thousands of homeless encampments, and police officers' initial decision just last month to release Daniel Penny, hours after he admitted to choking Jordan Neely to death on the subway. It was a decision that sparked protests until the district attorney eventually charged Penny.
"At the end of the day, she showed a lot of integrity and we have to thank her for that," said Felipe Rodriguez, a retired NYPD detective and adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Rodriguez said he believes Sewell's legacy in the department will be favorable.
"She attempted to do the best she could to show she was the boss and yet she cared and not everyone can pull that off and she did a great job," Rodriguez said.
The commissioner's email memo says she was aware of the challenges officers faced before she arrived and that's why she made officer wellness a priority.
The email highlighted a pilot program that was recently introduced to allow officers more days off in exchange for longer shifts, and recent changes to the overtime system, which she says will "prevent disruptions to your personal lives."
She said she hopes those will be lasting hallmarks of her tenure.
Sewell also mentioned her efforts to adjust the discipline process, with a focus on fairness and expediency.
CBS2 asked the mayor's office if she gave a reason for stepping down, but it has not told us.
However, Adams did confirm Sewell's resignation in a statement and later Monday, while speaking at a town hall, said, "I cannot tell you enough how much I appreciate her service. I appreciate what she has done. When she came in crime was moving in the wrong direction. She worked 24 hours seven days a week, really making sure that we can do what we saw with gun violence, what we saw with homicides, what we saw with our major crime categories. We were trending in the wrong way. No one wanted to get on the subway system. You saw just a really dangerous environment.
"She turned it around. Look at the numbers. Today it shows double-digit decrease in homicide, double-digit decrease in shootings. You're seeing all the major crimes moving in the right direction. And I just cannot thank her enough for what she has done for the men and women of this amazing department, a department I was proud to serve in, and as she moves on with the next stage in her life, we want to just really thank her for coming to our city, serving the city in the manner in which she did," Adams added.
Added Patrick Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association, "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. 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, president of the detectives union, also spoke glowingly about the outgoing commissioner.
"The DEA salutes Commissioner Sewell for leading the NYPD through some of the most tragic and difficult times in the department's history. Her love of detectives was genuine and sincere -- and her support of the union never wavered. Commissioner Sewell's historic appointment will not soon be forgotten."
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams reflected on Sewell being the first woman to hold the post.
"I want to thank NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell for her service to New York City. Commissioner Sewell broke barriers as the first woman, and first Black woman, to lead the largest police force in the country. I empathize with the unique challenges she faced that are so familiar to many of us in positions that have not traditionally been held by those who look like us. Despite differences about NYPD disciplinary policies, we shared a bond and mutual respect as professionals. I wish Commissioner Sewell all the best in her next chapter," she said.
To put Sewell's tenure into perspective, she held the job for 18 months, which is the shortest time for an NYPD commissioner since Bernard Kerik served 16 months between 2000 and 2002.