Aug. 14, 1964 - New York Police Commissioner Michael Murphy appointed Captain Lloyd Sealy today as the first Negro to command a police precinct in Harlem.
The appointment met one of the demands of Negro leaders who have charged the police with using excessive force in dealing with Negroes, particularly during the recent Harlem riots.
“I promised to give their request for such action serious consideration,” Murphy said. “I was acting on that promise.” Previously, it had been NYPD policy not to make appointments based on race.
Referring to Captain Sealy, Murphy said: “I went over his record and found him to be extremely qualified to command a precinct. He is the first Negro to be sent by the Police Commissioner to the FBI school in Washington.”
Captain Sealy is the only Negro precinct commander in the city at present. The only previous Negro precinct commander was the late Deputy Chief Inspector George Redding, who was made commander of the 80th precinct in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn in 1956.
Captain Sealy, who is 47 and has been a member of the force since 1943, is one of the three highest-ranking Negro officers in the Police Department. All are captains.
Captain Sealy was given the 28th Precinct, Harlem’s largest, with headquarters at 229 West 123rd Street. When he arrived this afternoon to take command, he was greeted by seven Negro community leaders with smiles, handshakes, and high praise.
Standing in front of the station house, Captain Sealy turned out the men who were going on night patrol with these words:
“Gentlemen, tonight is Friday night, and I want you to be on your toes. As you know, we have a little drinking problem here on the weekend.”
Reaction within the NYPD to the appointment was favorable for the most part. Two white patrolmen, going off duty at headquarters, said that they thought “it was about time.”
One added: “We need more Negro precinct commanders and some Puerto Ricans too.”

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