Inside the Turmoil That Led N.Y.P.D.’s Commissioner to Walk Away

On Monday afternoon, Keechant Sewell, the commissioner of the New York Police Department, walked into Mayor Eric Adams’ office unannounced, according to a mayoral adviser.

The two met alone and spoke for about 15 minutes. Then, about a half an hour later, at around 4:30 p.m., she sent a departmentwide email that rocked City Hall and stunned the 34,000 officers who received it. In it, Ms. Sewell said she would step down.

Ms. Sewell, 51, a guarded official known for a detached professionalism, had given few signs that she was unhappy. In the weeks before her announcement — and the day after — she made the kind of public appearances expected of a commissioner: ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange, walking in the Puerto Rican Day parade and speaking at promotion and memorial ceremonies.

On Tuesday morning, the police commissioner for less than 18 months spoke to high school students being honored by the Police Athletic League, including one who had been awarded the title “Police Commissioner for a Day.” She told them that law enforcement is a fulfilling career: “The N.Y.P.D. and our city need more young people who are problem solvers.”

However, Ms. Sewell said nothing about her own frustrations. Only a few of her closest aides knew she would be announcing her resignation, according to people with knowledge of the commissioner’s plans.

Over the past year, rumors had swirled that other appointees in the department were undermining her authority, specifically Phillip Banks III, the deputy mayor of public safety, and Timothy Pearson, a senior adviser to Mr. Adams, according to several police and City Hall officials. And in recent days, her relationship with Mr. Adams appeared to reach a breaking point, according to a high-ranking City Hall official.

Ms. Sewell declined to comment, according to a department spokesman. Deputy Mayor Banks said in a text to call him for comment “when you get a quote from Commissioner Sewell.”

Last month, Ms. Sewell had moved to strip Jeffrey Maddrey, the highest-ranking uniformed officer and a close associate of Mr. Adams, of 10 vacation days, after he interfered with the arrest of a retired officer who chased three boys while he was armed.

Around the same time, she was told she could not make discretionary promotions even at the lower levels of the department without getting clearance from the Adams administration, said Kenneth Corey, the former chief of the department, who worked under Ms. Sewell until he retired in November.

“She was gradually being stripped of power,” he said. “Now they had taken the power to make the most basic of decisions.”

That kind of meddling did not happen in prior administrations, said Mr. Corey, who praised Ms. Sewell as an “incredibly intelligent” commissioner who acted with “honor and integrity.”

Mr. Corey, who said he had been briefed by highly placed officials about the recent inner workings of the department, said that Ms. Sewell’s pending departure has “devastated” and angered many officers.

“They wonder what’s next,” he said.

Ms. Sewell has not provided a reason for her decision to leave the job, which paid about $243,000 a year. On Tuesday afternoon, her office released a statement in which she thanked Mr. Adams — whom she had not mentioned in the internal email announcing her resignation — for the opportunity to lead the department.

“The time I have spent in our communities — meeting everyday New Yorkers — has been among the most rewarding experiences of my tenure,” she wrote.

Mr. Adams on Tuesday began an unrelated news conference by saying that Ms. Sewell was “probably my proudest appointment,” but acknowledged that he was a deeply involved manager.

Ms. Sewell and Mr. Adams were both expected to attend a celebration Tuesday evening hosted by the Gay Officers Action League at Police Department headquarters, an event both had agreed to attend well before her resignation was announced. Mr. Adams canceled at 6 p.m.

Little is known about the conversation on Tuesday between the mayor and Ms. Sewell, or what exactly led her to resign.

Patrick Ryder, commissioner of the Nassau County Police Department, where Ms. Sewell was formerly chief of detectives, said he talked by phone with her late Monday afternoon, after news broke of her resignation.

“She’s a pure professional. She won’t say a bad word about anyone,” he said. “She just said, ‘It was time to move on.’”

In the days leading up to Ms. Sewell’s resignation, she spoke at the annual Police Foundation gala at the Intrepid Museum. Two days later, in Manhattan, she attended Saturday Night Lights, anti-violence community-based events held throughout the city.

On Sunday, about 30 hours before she made her announcement, Ms. Sewell marched down Fifth Avenue in the Puerto Rican Day Parade.

Mr. Corey said he saw Ms. Sewell at 8 a.m. Monday during a charity golf event in the Bronx, hours before she announced her resignation.

There was no indication of what was to come, he said. But she did ask whether he had seen a New York Post story that ran on Sunday quoting anonymous sources who described her “losing power” to City Hall.

Mr. Corey had, and told her, “If that’s true it’s terrible.”

She simply replied that they would talk later. Hours later, he saw the news that she had resigned.

He was startled but not entirely surprised.

“She is anything but a figurehead,” said Mr. Corey. “She’s either going to do the job that she was hired to do or she’s not,” he added.

Just after 10 a.m. Tuesday at One Police Plaza, the department’s headquarters in Lower Manhattan, Ms. Sewell received a standing ovation at the Police Athletic League ceremony.

About 200 people, including Chief Maddrey, clapped for Ms. Sewell for about two minutes before Ms. Sewell, who was smiling, motioned for everyone to take their seats.

Ms. Sewell then gave a four-minute speech, encouraging the students to consider making law enforcement their life.

“We are calling on you to stay involved with the Police Department,” she said, adding that the department needs young people who think “carefully and creatively.”

“I look forward to the day after you finish high school or college that you may consider a career with the N.Y.P.D.”

Soon after, she was ushered off the stage.