New York

Keechant Sewell, made a surprise retirement announcement on Monday (June 12). The announcement came less than 18 months into her position as commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD), reported the New York Post.

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Despite receiving a lot of support from the rank and file, Sewell resigned without giving a reason, thus it's unclear what exactly happened.

Who is Keechant Sewell?

Sewell was the first woman to hold the position of chief of the largest law enforcement agency in the country after being appointed by Mayor Eric Adams and taking over in 2022.

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Mayor Adams promised to choose a woman to lead the public safety organisation in an effort to introduce new ideas and solve various issues with racism and police brutality in the wake of huge demonstrations.

In the resignation email she sent to the department, she emphasised how admirable, kind, brave, and unselfish the policemen were. There was no mention of the precise date of her departure, and it is still unknown when a replacement would be selected. The mayor thanked her while praising her hard work and devotion.

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Unlike her more chatty predecessors, the former commissioner remained an enigmatic figure during her tenure, seldom straying from her prepared remarks during news conferences and giving little insight into her personality. Sewell gave a one-word response when asked in an interview what she was currently reading: "stats."  

Reasons for her resignation

Early on, there were doubts and worries about Sewell's position within the administration. Some senior current and former police officials claimed that the mayor and his top advisers, Chief Banks and Timothy Pearson, were undermining Sewell.

A recent discussion between a municipal official and Sewell revealed that Banks behaved as a shadow police commissioner, which left Sewell feeling irritated and undercut when defending his choices.

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Sewell succeeded in leaving a positive impression on the NYPD rank and file during her brief term, despite difficulties inside the administration. For Detectives Jason Rivera and Wilber Mora, who sadly perished while attending a domestic disturbance call in Harlem, she gave moving eulogies. In addition, Sewell took steps to make the working conditions for officers better by updating outdated break facilities and approving a work plan that entailed long days but shorter weeks, a concession long desired by the police union.

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