Sources reveal that Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell’s unexpected resignation on Monday took City Hall by surprise. Sewell, who served as the first woman in charge of the NYPD for nearly a year and a half, made the sudden announcement of her departure.
“I have made the decision to step down from my position,” Sewell wrote in an email to the department Monday afternoon. “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.”
After being appointed by Mayor Eric Adams, Sewell, aged 51, took office as the Police Commissioner on January 1, 2022. However, she did not offer any explanation for her resignation. As a result, it remains uncertain who will assume the responsibility of leading the nation’s largest police force.
“Since I joined you almost a year and a half ago we have faced tremendous tragedy, challenges and triumphs together,” Sewell wrote in the memo to the NYPD’s approximately 55,000 members.
“I have witnessed your compassion, heroics and selflessness on a daily basis,” the email, obtained by The Post, read. “They have reaffirmed to me what people around the globe have always known: you are an extraordinary collective of hard-working public servants dedicated to the safety of this city, engaging our communities and sharing what we know with our partners for the benefit of the world,” Sewell wrote.
“Please continue to do what you do well to secure this city.”
According to a report from The Post on Sunday, Sewell’s rapport with City Hall appeared to deteriorate in recent months. The commissioner encountered growing limitations in her ability to make crucial decisions within the department.
“She was fed up,” a NYPD source said Monday. “She was tired of being their puppet.”
Law enforcement sources have indicated that historically, NYPD commissioners have possessed the authority to promote police officers from rank and file to detective, as well as elevate detectives to higher ranks. However, Sewell had the requirement to seek approval from City Hall for such promotions, breaking from this tradition.
