Alexis Guilleux, edited by Laura Laplaud
It’s a first. The future mayor of New York, Eric Adams, will soon appoint Keechant Sewell as head of the legendary New York Police (NYPD). She will thus become the first woman to hold this position. A function that will not be easy since it will have to face an unprecedented level of violence in the city.
The fight against crime was one of the first concerns of New Yorkers for municipal governments. Elected as mayor of New York last November, Eric Adams does not intend to waste time. If he will only be invested on January 1, 2022, he has already appointed Keechant Sewell to the head of the New York police force, the NYPD.
Police often criticized
Keechant Sewell, newly appointed head of the New York Police Department (NYPD) will have to rebuild trust between the population and his police, criticized for his handling of the anti-racist protests of 2020. “We will be focused on the fight against crime, in particular gun violence. The challenge for New York is to ensure public safety while holding the police accountable for their actions, “she said.
Two promises: security and justice
The new mayor, Eric Adams, himself a former police officer, has chosen a woman from the field. At 49, Keechant Sewell ran the Nassau County Investigation Department, just outside New York City. The first woman at the head of the NPYD, she is aware of the symbol she represents. “I bring a different vision. I am committed to making the police look like the city they serve, and women and people of color to rise to positions of responsibility,” she said.
While 25% of New Yorkers are black, the NYPD has not been led by an African-American figure since the early 1990s.