Incoming New York City Mayor , who was a member of the NYPD himself, has vowed to name a woman and he has…
She comes from working in neighboring Nassau County, NY , as the chief of detectives, and her name is Keechant Sewell….
She will be the first woman to lead the countries largest police department, which numbers 39,000+ sworn officer’s and more civilian employee’s…She will be the third black commissioner of the department….
Keechant Sewell, the Nassau County chief of detectives, will become New York City’s first female police commissioner, taking over the nation’s largest police force at a critical moment.
Chief Sewell’s appointment, which is expected to be announced on Wednesday, was seen as one of the most important decisions for Eric Adams, the incoming mayor, as he begins to fill out his administration.
Her selection was confirmed on Tuesday night by Evan Thies, a spokesman for Mr. Adams. Chief Sewell, 49, was chosen from among a field of rumored candidates from within the New York Police Department and from larger police departments around the country.
Mr. Adams, a former police captain, ran as a centrist in the Democratic primary, promising to address a troubling rise in violence and to rein in police abuse. He will be counting on Chief Sewell to help him strike that balance….
…
Chief Sewell comes from a department that has about 2,400 uniformed officers — less than a tenth of the size of the roughly 35,000 officers employed by the New York Police Department.
A person close to Mr. Adams said he had been impressed by Chief Sewell’s confidence and competence, and her experience working undercover. Her interview process was rigorous and included a mock news conference about the shooting of an unarmed Black man by a white police officer, the person said.
In 23 years with the Nassau Police Department, Chief Sewell, who grew up in Queens, worked in the narcotics and major cases units, and as a hostage negotiator.
She was promoted to chief of detectives in September 2020….
…
Ms. Sewell will likely have to steer the department through what could be one of its most significant restructurings since Sept. 11. Mr. Adams has criticized the defund movement, and instead, has said he would trim the police budget by cutting overtime, and redirecting more mundane functions to a civilian work force….
Note…
Incoming Mayor Adams has vowed to make cuts to the NYPD…
One doubts that he will anymore successful with that then others who have tried….
image…PIX11
A folloow up on NYPD Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell….
…Ms. Sewell, the department’s third Black commissioner, described her current focuses as “crime, crime, crime; violence, violence, violence.” Her tenure so far has largely been spent reviewing existing strategies and considering ways to boost safety and internal morale, she said.
Still, she enters the role after long-simmering tensions between the police and communities of color came to a boil during months of citywide protests against police brutality and racism.
Sign up for the New York Today Newsletter Each morning, get the latest on New York businesses, arts, sports, dining, style and more. Get it sent to your inbox.
The department, like many across the country, has also deeply struggled to rebuild trust with some residents. Several advocates of police reform said they are waiting to see if their concerns become clearer priorities.
“What’s not been addressed is how this administration is going to protect New Yorkers from racial profiling, from hyperaggressive policing, from police abuse and civil rights violations and from a lack of accountability by law enforcement,” said Donna Lieberman, the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
Commissioner Sewell said she was continuing to assess possible areas of improvement, but added that she plans to focus more on neighborhood outreach. “There are times when we go into a community and we tell them what we can bring them,” she said. “But I want to hear from them what they want from us.”….
More…