Photo: Getty Images North America
The finger-pointing has begun in the wake of Keechant Sewell’s surprising resignation as NYPD Commissioner. Many of Sewell’s supporters claim Mayor Eric Adams never really let her run the department without City Hall’s approval first. Those supporters include former Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, who saw her work first-hand when Sewell was promoted to county chief of detectives. Curran appeared on 710 WOR’s Len Berman and Michael Riedel in the Morning program to talk about the Keechant Sewell she got to know.
“She is a consummate professional, a true leader,” Curran told Berman and Riedel. “A bit of behind-the-scenes: she was frustrated [due to] micromanaging, not having enough power as she should have had- this is what I’m hearing. It’s a shame, because crime was starting to go in the right direction and… she came from Nassau County, so it’s hard for an outsider to come to a police department like the NYPD and so quickly win the trust of the rank and file… so I think this is a real shame for New York, and it’s gotta be a big blow for Mayor Adams.”
Curran emphasized the theme that Sewell’s departure does not make Adams look like a natural-born leader. “It takes a confident leader to pick good people, put them in the right positions and let them do their jobs… Is he truly confident, if he needs to micromanage that much to drive good people out? I don’t know. Confident leadership is really important, and you’ve got to trust your people. If you don’t trust them, of course changes can be made, but when they’re proving themselves, you’ve got to let them do their thing.”
Curran also added her opinion on another ousted leader, Donald Trump. “I’m in South Carolina right now, and I had conversations yesterday with two guys who are regular people, who voted for Trump twice, regular folks. They still like him, they still think he was good for the country, but they’re like, ‘He’s not electable; I think we need to do something else.’ That’s the first time I felt, wow, I think this guy is actually vulnerable.”
Photo Credit: Getty Images