Sewell to be 1st woman, 3rd Black person to lead NYC police

Sewell to be 1st woman, 3rd Black person to lead NYC police

Keechant Sewell speaks to the media at the Queensbridge houses in Long Island City, in the Queens borough of New York on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021. New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams named Sewell, a Long Island police official, as the city's next police commissioner, making her the first woman to lead the nation’s largest police force. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman)

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams named Keechant Sewell, a Long Island police official, as the city’s next police commissioner. That makes her the first woman to lead the nation’s largest police force. Adams, himself a former New York police captain, introduced Sewell on Wednesday as his barrier-breaking choice for one of the most high-profile and powerful jobs in his upcoming administration. Sewell serves as the Nassau County Police Chief of Detectives. She will be only the third Black person to serve as NYPD Commissioner. Sewell says she will be “laser-focused on violent crime,” and will elevate women and people of color to leadership positions in the department.

Photo: Keechant Sewell speaks to the media at the Queensbridge houses in Long Island City, in the Queens borough of New York on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman)