Keechant Sewell

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Keechant Sewell
Keechant L Sewell, December 15, 2021 (cropped).jpg
Keechant Sewell and Mayor Elect Eric Adams at the press conference announcing her new position as New York City Police Commissioner.
45th New York City Police Commissioner
Assumed office
January 1, 2022[1]
Appointed byEric Adams
Preceded byDermot Shea
Chief of Detectives of the Nassau County Police Department
In office
September 24, 2020 – December 31, 2021
Personal details
Born (1972-04-02) April 2, 1972 (age 49)
New York City, U.S.[2]

Keechant L. Sewell (born April 2, 1972) is an American police officer and administrator who is currently serving as the 45th New York City Police Commissioner. She is the first woman to serve as the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department.[3]

Early life[]

Sewell was raised in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, including at the Queensbridge Houses. She later lived in the Queens neighborhoods of Corona and Jamaica.[4]

Career[]

Nassau County Police Department[]

In October 1997, Sewell became a police officer assigned to Nassau County Police Department's Fifth Precinct. Sewell was eventually promoted through the ranks to become the commanding officer of the 7th Precinct[5] and then, by 2016, commanding officer of the major case squad.[6] In 2008 Sewell had attended the FBI National Academy,[7][8] and other assignments included the Professional Standards Bureau, Internal Affairs, and training with the FBI to be the county's chief hostage negotiator. On September 24, 2020, Sewell was promoted to NCPD's chief of detectives, commanding a staff of approximately 350 officers.[9][10][11]

Sewell was also member of the New York–New Jersey Joint-Terrorism Task Force.[12]

New York City Police Commissioner[]

The New York City Police Department Commissioner's shield

On December 14, 2021, it was announced that Sewell would be appointed as the 45th New York City police commissioner by Mayor-Elect Eric Adams. She will become the first female commissioner of the New York Police Department,[13][14] and its third black commissioner.[15] She will oversee 35,000 uniformed officers and 18,000 civilians.[16][17][18] On January 1, 2022, Sewell was officially sworn in as first female commissioner of the New York Police Department since it was founded 176 years beforehand.[3] Sewell was criticized for publicly accepting the appointment in front of a mural of Assata Shakur, convicted of killing a police officer.[19]

Personal life[]

At the time of her appointment as New York City Police Commissioner, Sewell was residing in Valley Stream, New York.[20][21]

References[]

  1. ^ Fitzsimmons, Emma (December 14, 2021). "Keechant Sewell to Become First Woman and African-American Woman to Lead N.Y.P.D." New York Times. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  2. ^ "Incoming NYPD commissioner says judges should have discretion to keep people in custody Interview she states born in Manhattan (Time 7:43)". www.NY1.com. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  3. ^ a b Kwan, Rhoda (January 1, 2021). "Keechant Sewell sworn in as NYPD's first female police commissioner". NBC News. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  4. ^ Fitzsimmons, Emma (December 14, 2021). "Keechant Sewell to Become First Woman to Lead N.Y.P.D." New York Times. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  5. ^ "About SMCCA". 15 December 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  6. ^ "Ronald Bishop of Hempstead arrested on weapons, drug charges". www.newsday.com. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  7. ^ "New York's Next Police Boss, a Queens Native, Comes 'Full Circle'". nytimes.com. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  8. ^ "'My shoes are laced up, I'm ready to get to work,' incoming NYC Police Commissioner Sewell says". abc7ny.com. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  9. ^ "Nassau PD promotes 22-year veteran as chief of detectives". longisland.news12.com. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  10. ^ "NCPD promotes first Black woman as chief of detectives". www.newsday.com. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  11. ^ Offenhartz, Jake (December 14, 2021). "Eric Adams Picks Nassau County PD Chief Keechant Sewell To Be First Female NYPD Commissioner". The Gothamist. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  12. ^ Craig McCarthy, Julia Marsh (December 14, 2021). "Eric Adams picks Keechant Sewell as the first female police commissioner of the NYPD". NY Post. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  13. ^ "Keechant Sewell Expected To Be Appointed Next NYPD Commissioner: Sources". NBC New York. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
  14. ^ "Keechant Sewell to be named NYC's first woman police commissioner". NY1.com. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
  15. ^ "Nassau County chief to take over as NYPD commissioner, police sources say". pix11.com. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
  16. ^ Frehse, Rob (December 14, 2021). "Keechant Sewell will be NYC's first female police commissioner". CNN. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  17. ^ Oshin, Olafimihan (December 14, 2021). "Incoming NYC mayor to appoint city's first female police". The Hill. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  18. ^ "Keechant Sewell To Be Named Next NYC Police Commissioner". CBS News. December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  19. ^ Miller, Andrew (December 15, 2021). "Eric Adams' new NYPD commissioner appointed in front of a mural of radicals and a cop killer". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  20. ^ "NYPD's First Woman Commissioner Faces Applause And Skepticism". gothamist.com. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  21. ^ Craig McCarthy, Julia Marsh (December 15, 2019). "Eric Adams picks Keechant Sewell as the first female police commissioner of the NYPD". NY Post. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
Police appointments
Preceded by New York City Police Commissioner
January 1, 2022 		Incumbent
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