Former NYPD commissioner Keechant Sewell joins Mets as senior VP of security

Former NYPD commissioner Keechant Sewell will join the Mets in a newly created role, the sports organization announced Thursday.

Sewell will start her new role on Nov. 27.

In this newly created position with the Mets, Sewell will oversee the safety and guest experience for the organization.

“Keechant’s expertise in public service, law and safety, as well as collaboration with the public, will allow us to take our Security and Guest Experience to the next level,” said Katie Haas, Executive Vice President of Ballpark Operations and Experience, and who Sewell will report to. “Keechant will help us to modernize our approach to safety and the guest experience at Citi Field, while also strengthening our relationships with the community and all agencies of law enforcement and emergency services.”

Sewell shared her excitement over the new position.

"I am excited to join the Mets for my first private sector role,” Sewell said. “The opportunity to bring my passions of community building and public safety to the Mets is truly a dream job. As someone who grew up in Queens, this legendary organization is vital to local communities and so many across the world. I can’t wait to help be a part of building this world-class fan experience.”

Sewell, the first woman to lead the largest police department in the nation, announced in June that she was stepping down from her position as head of the NYPD after first taking the job in January 2022.

In a memo to NYPD staff put out in June, Sewell said she would be resigning, telling members of the department that she was "aware of the challenges you faced both before I arrived and what you experience daily."

"I have made the decision to step down from my position," the memo read. "While my time here will come to a close, I will never step away from my advocacy and support for the NYPD, and I will always be a champion for the people of New York City."

Mayor Eric Adams delivered a statement thanking Sewell for her service to the city, work he said earned her a "debt of gratitude."

"Her efforts played a leading role in this administration’s tireless work to make New York City safer. When we came into office, crime was trending upwards, and thanks to the brave men and women of the NYPD, most of the major crime categories are now down," Adams said.

During her brief tenure, she oversaw a decrease in some categories of crime – including murders – while contending with several high-profile crises, including the fatal shooting of two officers during her first month on the job. In a statement, Patrick Lynch, the president of the Police Benevolent Association, said her leadership would be “sorely missed.”

Keechant will help us to modernize our approach to safety and the guest experience at Citi Field, while also strengthening our relationships with the community and all agencies of law enforcement and emergency services.

Katie Haas, Executive Vice President of Ballpark Operations and Experience

Sewell shied from New York's spotlight, rarely making herself available to press, even as Adams has made crime-fighting a centerpiece of his administration.

She also faced speculation that she was not truly in control of the department, fueled in part by Adams’ decision to appoint a former NYPD chief and key ally, Phillip Banks, as a deputy mayor of public safety. Banks has been holding weekly public briefings on crime, often without Sewell in attendance.

Sewell became the 45th police commissioner after serving as chief of detectives in the Nassau County Police Department where she was based for 25 years.

Sewell, originally from Queens, was a 22-year police veteran in Nassau County. She spent her entire policing career in suburban Nassau County before becoming the NYPD’s first outside leader in more than two decades.