It is a relief to see that Mayor-Elect Adams picked a non-ideologue and supporter of broken windows policing for the position of top cop in the city. The New York Young Republican Club wishes Ms. Sewell success, not just for her sake but for the sake of the city at large.
Our only concern, and one shared by others on news of her appointment, is her lack of experience running a department with the size and complexity of the NYPD. This is a department that is closer to the size of a small army rather than a typical municipal law enforcement agency. We hope that merit takes precedence in all city appointments and that Ms. Sewell was chosen on the basis of her skills and not simply in a rush to find the first non-white female ostensibly qualified for the role.
At the end of the day, Mayor-Elect Adams will need to deliver almost immediately on his promises to reduce crime if he wants any hope of achieving higher office or even winning re-election. He was elected by an unusual coalition given his moderate stances and electoral promises.
While the NYPD commissioner makes a big difference in the reduction of crime, the department is already a well-oiled machine. The various rank and file know what they have to do to get crime under control; their biggest issue has been the hizzoner tying their hands behind their backs and feckless district attorneys who refuse to prosecute criminals. Combined with bail reform, we have had a perfect storm of chaos in the Big Apple that has shown no signs of subsiding. As of December 5, shootings are up 100.8% and homicides are up 45.2% from the same period in 2019. Police morale is also at an all-time low with more than 5,300 NYPD officers have retired or left the force in 2020.
The New York Young Republican Club hopes Ms. Sewell will keep her promise to be “laser-focused” on taking criminals off the streets, and we urge her to help restore the anti-crime units that have been overwhelmingly successful at reducing crime in recent decades. After many years of being led by crime deniers, New Yorkers deserve leaders that are ready to tackle this crisis.