Keechant Sewell should be the last figurehead NYPD commissioner: Anything else is a disservice to police and the public.
It’s impossible to fault Sewell for resigning Monday, after 18 months as the first woman to hold the title: City Hall’s game-playing gave her no other honorable choice.
On Sunday, The Post reported that she’d lost virtually all authority as commissioner — unable even to promote detectives without City Hall’s say-so.
The real decision-maker was plainly Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks, an ex-chief of department who resigned amid a corruption probe in which he was named an unindicted co-conspirator.
Banks even held press briefings himself, rather than let the police boss handle them, as is traditional.
Mayor Eric Adams hired her to make good on his vow to name the city’s first woman to lead the department. But he made a mockery of his own vow by taking so much power out of her hands — and putting it into men’s.
Among other shocking moves, Adams praised and even promoted one of Sewell’s deputy chiefs, Juanita Holmes: She clashed with the commish on lowering training standards and hosting rapper Cardi B at the Police Academy — then allegedly went over Sewell’s head to get City Hall’s backing.
City Hall also overrode her in the case of another chief, Jeff Maddrey. He too reportedly bypassed the commissioner to get his way.
And the mayor’s office also interfered when she sought to discipline Maddrey in a gun case.
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A “shadow commissioner” is a recipe for disaster.
It destroys the chain of command — at an agency where that’s a life-and-death matter.
And it tanks morale among the rank-and-file.
Sewell, notably, won the admiration of police-union boss Patrick Lynch. On Tuesday, she got a standing ovation at an awards ceremony.
Yes, every agency head, including the NYPD’s, ultimately answers to the mayor. Voters hold him responsible if crime falls or rises.
But it’s a lot harder to keep it moving in the right direction when you’re playing these games.
If Hizzoner wants Banks running the Police Department, he should make it so and take the political consequences.
Otherwise, find someone you can trust with to openly wield full authority, and step back.
