NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell losing power to Eric Adams, sources say
Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell is powerless to make most moves at the NYPD without approval from the Adams administration, The Post has learned.
New York City police commissioners have historically been able to promote detectives to higher grades or turn cops into detectives for meritorious service, but not Sewell.
Such personnel matters are now made at the discretion of the mayor, police sources said.
“They tied her up,” one source said. “There’s no executive choices on her behalf. If a cop distinguishes himself and she wants to promote him, she can’t do it.”
The sources said Sewell already had little power but lost more ground after approving discipline against Chief of Department Jefferey Maddrey, the NYPD’s highest-ranking uniformed officer.
Sewell agreed to discipline him after he was found to have abused his authority in a 2021 gun case.
“She didn’t do what [City Hall] wanted,” the source said. “They wanted him to get a pass.”
The Civilian Complaint Review Board — the NYPD’s citizen watchdog — found that Maddrey had charges dropped against Krythoff Forrester, a former NYPD officer, after he was arrested for allegedly pulling a gun on three children — 12, 13 and 14 — who busted a security camera outside Forrester’s family business in Brownsville.
The youngsters said it was an accident.
Maddrey, the former commander of the 73rd Precinct, knew Forrester from his time in the community and overruled an arresting sergeant on Nov. 25, 2021, even showing up at the stationhouse to support his friend.
Forrester has denied pulling a firearm on kids.
Maddrey’s planning to fight the charges at a departmental trial, police sources have said.
His lawyer Lambros Lambrou said he’s confident his client will prevail at trial.
With Mayor Adams now micromanaging NYPD personnel moves, police bosses will soon be expected to fill out a form to be sent to City Hall for approval of all transfers, police sources said.
“You have the first female police commissioner and she’s surrounded by males who have her in check,” the source said, referring to Mayor Adams, Deputy Mayor Philip Banks and Maddrey, among others.
“The patriarchy is in control,” the source said. “Sewell is not in control of the NYPD.”
An NYPD spokesman said Sewell “carries enormous weight.”
“It’s quite clear, the mayor runs the city and the commissioner runs the police department,” Deputy Inspector Eric Robinson said.
A mayoral spokesman said, “The Police Commissioner has Mayor Adams’ full support and she . . . is trusted to lead her agency. . . Mayor Adams asks every commissioner to provide justification for promotions for senior level positions at each agency. There is no different protocol for the NYPD.”
