The New York Police Department (NYPD) is set to have its first female police chief after the outgoing commissioner retires at the end of the year. The city’s elected mayor, Eric Adams, chose current Nassau County Detective Chief Keechant Sewell as his choice to lead the United States’ largest police force of around 35,000 officers, NBC reported . Sewell’s selection was confirmed on Tuesday and an official announcement of the decision is expected to be made today at a public housing development in Queens. Sewell will take office in January of next year. Adam in a statement supported Sewell’s appointment and said she has a proven track record as a “crime fighter with the experience and the emotional intelligence to provide both the safety New Yorkers need. and the justice they deserve ”.
We congratulate and welcome Chief Keechant Sewell for making history as the NYPD’s first female Police Commissioner. ?? pic.twitter.com/U9QPbHv0Ak– NYDominican officers (@ NYDO_1993) December 15, 2021
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Sewell served in the Nassau Police Department’s Narcotics and Major Affairs departments, as well as as a hostage negotiator, for 23 years. She took over as head of the department as head of detectives in September 2020.
Sewell, from Queens, defeated several candidates, including Carmen Best of Seattle and Philadelphia Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, to fight his way to the main NYPD post.
Adam, who is himself a former NYPD captain, had promised to appoint a woman to the top New York City police post during his election campaign.
Sewell will be just the third black person to lead the NYD after Benjamin Ward and Lee Brown, who were top positions in the ’80s and’ 90s, respectively. His appointment was hailed by the New York Police Benevolent Association (PBA), the union representing city officers, and the Legal Aid Society. Welcoming the move, PBA President Patrick Lynch said NYPS officers were looking to work with Sewell as the new chief and hoped she would arrange the break to put the police department and the city back on track. way.
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