Don’t cry for me, New York City.

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell penned an unusual, heartfelt farewell letter to New Yorkers on Tuesday, telling them that rubbing elbows with Big Apple residents “was among the most rewarding experiences of my tenure.

“For the past year and a half, I have had the privilege of serving as your police commissioner,” wrote Sewell, who suddenly announced Monday that she’s quitting, in the public letter.

“Your safety has been and will always be the primary focus of the women and men of the NYPD — and their hard work has produced results,” she said. “I have always strived to bring you and your officers closer. Ensuring that the services we provide exceed your expectations.”

Sewell touted the city’s double-digit decreases in shooting in the five boroughs on her watch and rattled off a series of community efforts she launched to make New Yorkers “our most valuable partners” to keep the city safe.

She used a more formal letter to the department Monday to announce she was stepping down as the NYPD’s 45th commissioner — and the first woman to hold the post — after just 18 months.

Sources told The Post that Mayor Eric Adams was caught off guard by the move, although insiders said Sewell may have been considering her resignation as early as March — weary of the mayor’s heavy-handed control of the department.

Although Sewell shunned the public spotlight more than her predecessor, former Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, she wrote Tuesday that she was proud of her community outreach efforts.

“The time I have spent in our communities — meeting everyday New Yorkers — has been among the most rewarding experiences of my tenure,” she said. “I have witnessed first-hand the bonds you have forged with the women and men of this department.

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell's sudden resignation

Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell abruptly announced Monday that she was stepping down after nearly a year and a half as the first woman at the helm of the NYPD.

Then-Mayor-elect Eric Adams tapped the Nassau County chief of detectives as the first female police commissioner of the NYPD in December 2021. Sources at the time said Adams had long had his eye on Sewell for commissioner after saying he wanted a woman to lead the department.

Sewell, a Queens native, was just the third black police commissioner after Benjamin Ward, who served from 1984 to 1989 under Mayor Ed Koch, and Lee Brown, Mayor David Dinkins’ first police chief, from 1990 to 1992.

She did not provide a reason for her departure, and it was not immediately clear who would be taking over to lead the largest police force in the country. 

Sewell’s relationship with City Hall had seemed to sour in recent months, with the commissioner finding herself increasingly handcuffed when trying to make key department decisions, The Post reported.

“Please continue to have faith in the work of the NYPD that ensures the fairest, most effective and most compassionate policing is delivered,” Sewell added. “Thank you for this extraordinary honor to serve the people of this great city.”

NYPD Deputy Commissioner Edward Caban is next in line to serve as an interim top cop while officials at City Hall scramble to figure out what to do long-term, sources told The Post.

Sewell is expected to officially step down on June 30.