NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell resigns after a year and a half on the job

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell has resigned after a year and a half leading the nation’s largest police department.

“I have made the decision to step down from my position,” Sewell said in an email to NYPD staff sent shortly before 4:30 p.m., which was shared with Gothamist by two people.

Sewell said the department had faced “tremendous tragedy, challenges and triumphs” during her time at the helm and called the NYPD “an extraordinary collective of hard working public servants.” She said officer morale had been one of her priorities and that she hoped the changes made under her leadership would be “lasting hallmarks of my focus on your well being.”

Sewell closed her message by asking officers to continue to “do what you do well to secure this city” and thanked them for “stepping forward.” She also told them to “stay safe.”

The commissioner did not provide any explanation for her departure or information about what she’ll do next.

The NYPD did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mayor Eric Adams thanked Sewell for her “devotion” and “steadfast leadership” in a statement released shortly after news broke of her departure. He said the commissioner’s efforts had “played a leading role” in the administration’s efforts to bring down crime.

“The commissioner worked nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week for a year and a half, and we are all grateful for her service,” he said. “New Yorkers owe her a debt of gratitude.”

The mayor tapped Sewell to head the department in December 2021, making her the first woman to lead the nation’s largest police force.

This story will be updated.