New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams has tapped Nassau County Chief of Detectives Keechant Sewell as the next commissioner of the NYPD — a stunning, close-to-home pick from a field of seasoned top women chiefs across the country, The New York Post reports.
“I’m here to meet the moment,” Sewell told The Post in an exclusive interview Tuesday, just a couple of weeks before she becomes the city’s 45th police commissioner.
“I’m very humbled to even be considered for this and it’s an extraordinary opportunity. And I take it very seriously, the historic nature of this,” she said.
Sewell will be the first woman to take charge of the department in its 176 years.
The surprise choice of the 49-year-old from Long Island — who has led just 351 uniformed officers for the past 15 months — was a “gut choice” for Adams. Sources say he had favored her for months since the hunt began for the next leader of the largest police force in the country.
“Keechant Sewell is a proven crime fighter with the experience and emotional intelligence to deliver both the safety New Yorkers need and the justice they deserve,” Mayor-Elect Adams told The Post
“Chief Sewell will wake up every day laser-focused on keeping New Yorkers safe and improving our city, and I am thrilled to have her at the helm of the NYPD,” Adams said.
