NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Mayor-elect Eric Adams‘ nationwide seek for a police commissioner resulted in his personal yard.
He chosen the 49-year-old chief of detectives of the Nassau County Police Department to be the primary lady to steer the NYPD in its 175-year historical past, CBS2’s Marcia Kramer reported Wednesday.
READ MORE: Mayor-Elect Eric Adams To Name Keechant Sewell As NYPD’s First Female Police Commissioner
Even earlier than he discovered the highest cop of his goals, Adams advised Kramer it needed to be an individual with what he known as “emotional intelligence.” He mentioned he found it in Keechant Sewell, who grew up within the Queensbridge Homes in Long Island City.
“Chief Sewell’s appointment at present is a robust message to ladies and younger ladies throughout town. There isn’t a ceiling to your ambitions,” Adams mentioned.
Watch: Mayor-Elect Adams Names New NYPD Commissioner
Even earlier than he was elected mayor, Adams promised to call a lady of shade to steer the most important police pressure within the nation, and he was grinning from ear to ear as he launched Sewell as the lady he’ll companion with to revive public security, one thing he calls a prerequisite to town’s prosperity.
He known as her “the personification of emotional intelligence.”
That was so essential to Adams that as a part of the grueling multi-layered interview course of the mayor-elect and his crew made Sewell and the entire candidates take part in a mock press convention in regards to the taking pictures of an apparently unarmed Black man by a white police officer.
He mentioned the check was an essential one.
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“We needed to get underneath her pores and skin. We needed to ask tough questions, see if she could be shaken. We needed to see the way you take care of issues underneath the large lights of New York Metropolis,” Adams mentioned. “When you might have a terrorist assault, you might have shootings, or you might have riots within the streets, you might have protests, you might have the folks of town look in the direction of the police commissioner to say we’re going to be all proper.”
An enormous congratulations to Keechant Sewell — NYC’s subsequent Police Commissioner.
I need to want her a heat welcome to the NYPD household. And I do know the folks of NYC and all of the courageous males & ladies in blue are in good palms together with her on the helm. pic.twitter.com/5kjTB2jzdD
— Commissioner Shea (@NYPDShea) December 15, 2021
So why did Sewell rise above all the opposite candidates from throughout the nation?
“She began out her response that it was a tragedy to lose an adolescent. She confirmed that compassion. Others went into the technical features of policing,” Adams mentioned.
In accepting the job, Sewell made it clear that she was conscious of the essential message the choice was sending.
“I stand right here at present as a result of a person boldly and unapologetically decided nicely earlier than his monumental and profitable election, a call that gave ladies in policing throughout the nation a possibility, not a favor, however an opportunity to work with him,” Sewell mentioned.
Outgoing Police Commissioner Dermot Shea welcomed his successor, saying he believes the women and men in blue shall be in good palms together with her on the helm.
Sources advised CBS2 Sewell, who would be the division’s forty fifth commissioner, will report on to Adams, who has made restoring public security his prime precedence.
Adams has already pledged to bring back the undercover plainclothes unit that was disbanded by Shea through the Black Lives Matter protests. He additionally mentioned he needs to convey again beat cops.
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CBS2’s John Dias contributed to this report.
