New York City’s police force will be led by a woman for the first time in its 176-year history
New York City’s police force will be led by a woman for the first time in its 176-year history, Mayor-elect Eric Adams announced on Wednesday. Keechant Sewell, 49, is a 23-year veteran of the Nassau Police Department in nearby Long Island, where she became chief of detectives in September 2020. For Adams, the move fulfils a campaign pledge to name a female commissioner. The NYPD is the largest police force in the US.
Speaking to media on Wednesday morning, Adams – a former NYPD captain said that women often are sitting on the bench and never allowed to get in the game when it comes to policing. Sewell, who is originally from the New York borough of Queens, previously served in New York’s Nassau County narcotics and major case units, and as a hostage negotiator. When she takes over the department in January, Sewell will also become only the third black commissioner to take helm of the NYPD.
