NYC Mayor Eric Adams names deputy commissioner Edward Caban as new NYPD boss - weeks after Keechant Sewell resigned over friction with the mayor

Eric Adams has named a new New York Police commissioner - roughly a month after Keechant Sewell abruptly resigned from the role.

The mayoral maneuver was formally announced Monday during a 10am news conference in the Bronx, and saw former First Deputy Commissioner Edward Caban appointed to the plum position.

A New Yorker with more than 30 years' NYPD experience, Caban, 55, had already been serving as interim commissioner since Sewell, 51, stepped down on June 12, over alleged frustrations with her attempts to act with autonomy.

In the weeks that ensued, Caban - a rumored Adams confidante who insiders say routinely circumvented Sewell to speak with the mayor - surfaced as a clear-cut replacement.

He was greeted by chants of 'Eddie! Eddie!' as he arrived in front of the 40th Precinct to accept the honor in a ceremony presided over by his friend, who made the announcement.

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New NYPD Boss Edward Caban - who has more than 30 years' experience with the departmentent by chants of 'Eddie! Eddie!' as he arrived in front of the 40th Precinct to accept the honor Monday in a ceremony presided over by his friend Eric Adams

Adams crowned the new New York Police commissioner four weeks after Keechant Sewell (right) abruptly resigned from the role, reportedly over private clashes with the mayor

'When I reflect on my time of being mayor of this great city, this is going to be probably one of the most significant and emotional moments for me of bringing forward a person that is representative of this blue collar city,' Adams said Monday.

He went on to call Caban - the city's first ever Latino police boss - a 'consummate professional', citing his more than 31 years of experience.

'This is an amazing moment for not only the Spanish-speaking community,' Adams said of Caban's appointment. 'This is amazing moment for our entire city and country of what we are doing.'

Caban - who became the NYPD's First Deputy Commissioner in 2022 not long after Sewell was named the department's first-ever female commissioner - proceeded to thank officers in attendance before he was sworn in.

'I want to begin by giving thanks to God for this incredible day, because with God, all things are possible,' Caban said, before recalling the start of his policing career as a patrol officer in the Bronx.

'My journey with the NYPD began over 32 years ago. A young Puerto Rican kid from Parkchester standing on a foot post in the South Bronx, just like thousands who came before me and thousands who have come after me in those days, the top bosses of the police department didn't really look like me. 

'Police Officer Eddie Caban could not walk into the fourth Precinct, look up at the leadership photos hanging on the wall and envision his future.'

The father-of-two went on to praise his predecessor for her 18-month stint as the city's top cop, during which the rate of shootings and homicides dropped and the city and the Police Benevolent Association negotiated a new contract. 

The ceremony was presided over by Adams, who named Caban the department's interim boss back in June

Caban - a rumored Adams confidante who insiders say routinely circumvented Sewell to speak with the mayor - was seen embracing his friend after being sworn in

A Puerto Rican from the Bronx, Caban is the first Latino officer to lead the NYPD in the force's 177-year history

Seen here with his predecessor in April, the former deputy praised Sewell Monday for her 18-month stint as commissioner, during which crime in the city dropped some 20 percent

'The NYPD is the most consequential police department in all of law enforcement,' he said. 'Of course, my three decades of experience, I have seen those qualities close from simple acts of kindness to uncompromised examples of bravery.

'Commissioner Sewell smashed the glass ceiling that lingered on for far too long, and she did so with grace, confidence and honor. 

'In her time as police commissioner, she brought down crime, and we are standing on that great foundation. Together, we will build upon our successes and continue to drive down crime and improve the quality of life in our communities.'  

Before embracing the officer, Adams also thanked Sewell for her 18 months of service - citing how she came to the department at perhaps its lowest low.

'When we appointed Keechant Sewell to be the first woman to be the police commissioner in the city of New York, we started on a journey when the police department was moving in the wrong direction in the area of law enforcement,' Adams said of the early days of the pandemic. 'Morale was down.'

Of the forces some 34,000 officers, he said: 'We were placing them on the front line. We started the year losing two young people Mora and Rivera,' noting the line-of-duty deaths of two NYPD patrolmen in 2022.

'No matter what our officers did, we treated them with a level of disrespect. We wanted them to be on the front line, but we were not there for them when they were on that front line.'

He went on to recall and - reiterate - the message he gave disgruntled officers around that time, during his first few weeks in office. 'I've got your back,' he said.

Sewell's resignation earlier this month reportedly came after she privately clashed with Mayor Adams on a police disciplinary matter, and after Caban - who was fast tracked to first deputy in one of Adams' first mayoral moves - reportedly repeatedly circumvented her authority to speak with the politician about policing matters

As for Sewell, her resignation earlier this month reportedly came after she privately clashed with Mayor Adams on a police disciplinary matter - and after Caban - who was fast tracked to first deputy in one of Adams' first moves as mayor - reportedly circumvented her authority to speak with Adams about policing matters.

 What's more, when Adams championed Caban to become deputy commissioner, insiders said he bypassed other senior officials to do so.

When asked about the still-unknown reasons for Sewell's departure, sources familiar with the matter told The New York Post that Adams did not expect her resignation, saying: 'The mayor was caught short. They did not think she would be leaving today. 

'The earliest they thought it was later in the summer.'

Adams added in a statement in June: 'I want to thank Police Commissioner Sewell for her devotion over the last 18 months and her steadfast leadership. 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.

'The commissioner worked nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week for a year and a half, and we are all grateful for her service. New Yorkers owe her a debt of gratitude.' 

Sewell, meanwhile, who took over the department during a critical time of rife crime and anti-police sentiment, has kept quiet about the reasoning behind her resignation.

In an internal memo announcing her resignation obtained by DailyMail.com, she citied some of the circumstances she inherited after being brought on to the NYPD from Nassau's chief of detectives in 2021.

'Since I joined you almost a year and a half ago we have faced tremendous tragedy, challenges and triumphs together,' she wrote.

'I have witnessed your compassion, heroics and selflessness on a daily basis.'

She added: '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.'

Adams appointed Sewell as the city's 45th police commissioner when he took office in January 2022, and she was the first woman to lead the nation's largest police department.

A 23-year vet of the Long Island police force, she oversaw some 35,000 uniformed offices and 18,000 civilian employees as NYPD commissioner.

Like Caban, she was also raised in New York, in the borough of Queens. She succeeded Dermot Shea, who was appointed the city's top cop in 2019 by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio.