STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — As a kid, NYPD Capt. Kevin Russell dreamed of slam dunks and saving the world — either as an NBA star or Superman.
Instead, he found his calling in a different kind of heroism: policing.
Now, after serving years in the Coast Guard and with the NYPD across Manhattan and Staten Island, the Eltingville resident has come full circle, appointed this week as the new commanding officer of the 123rd Precinct on the South Shore.
“Being an officer was something I always wanted to do‚" he said. ”I wanted to serve my country. I joined the United States Coast Guard because they were like a fire department, police department wrapped in one.”
Russell served as executive officer at Staten Island’s 122nd Precinct, based in New Dorp, about four years ago. Since then, he has expanded his resume with executive officer assignments in Manhattan, including the Patrol Borough Manhattan South 5th Precinct, Midtown South and Midtown North.
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Capt. Kevin Russell's first day as the 123rd Precinct commander
According to Assistant Chief Melissa Eger, the NYPD’s borough commander, his time in Manhattan gave him extensive operational experience in high-density, high-activity environments, which he now brings back to Staten Island.
As an Eltingville resident, Russell is well-acquainted with the borough’s crime patterns and quality-of-life concerns, Eger said.
“He knows the landscape and he’s brought what he’s learned in the outer boroughs here to Staten Island to build on what we have,” the Island’s top cop explained. “We have great commanding officers.”
Captain Kevin Russell's First day as precinct commander
Assistant Chief Melissa Eger, the NYPD's borough commander, speaks about Capt. Gzim Palaj and Capt. Kevin Russell on Aug. 12, 2025.STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
Staten Island roots
Russell, who started the new position on Tuesday, is “completely honored” with the appointment, which he admitted is even more significant since he lives in the area.
“I moved to Great Hills about a decade ago, and I’ve been here ever since,” Russell shared. “I love it. Now I live in Eltingville.”
At the 123rd Precinct, he’ll work with fellow officers with a focus on keeping crime down and enforcing traffic laws, he said.
“In this command, one of the bigger things you’ll see if you drive around enough is people speeding and running red lights,” he said. ”So we’re definitely going to try to make sure that we enforce traffic laws. We’ll try to make sure everyone obeys them because the consequences can be deadly if not followed."
A Greenpoint, Brooklyn, native, Russell had a familial connection to Staten Island before moving here: his mother.
“My mother was from Staten Island, the South Beach area, before she moved to Greenpoint,” Russell said. “My mother and my father were especially was proud of me being an officer. They favored my two sisters growing up, and then when I became a police officer, then it became: ‘These are my daughters. My son Kevin, he’s a police officer.’”
Capt. Kevin Russell
Capt. Kevin Russell is shown on Aug. 12, 2025. STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
It is because of his parents’ pride in him that this appointment as precinct commander holds an incredibly special place in Russell’s heart, he said.
Unfortunately, neither of his parents are alive to see it.
“It was definitely something meaningful to both my parents,” Russell shared. “If they were here today, I would love for them to see this.”
His journey to the NYPD
Russell completed two years of military service and, by July of 2007, he transitioned into the NYPD academy.
In reflecting on the lessons he learned during his early years of public service, Russell said leadership, respect for subordinates, and the value of listening to those with frontline experience are some of the key factors he has utilized in his leadership roles with the department.
“It’s a tough but very proud profession,” he said. ”The people want you out there. Overall, 99.9% of time, we do a great job as a department.”
A parent’s perspective
As a devoted father of two young daughters, ages 4 and 6, Russell said that it is through policing that he’s able to connect with youth in a fatherly fashion.
In his free time, Russell said he enjoys playing with his kids, listening to music, and watching sports and movies. His favorite movie is “Rocky.”
“I love playing and hanging out with them,” Russell said. “On Staten Island, kids grow up with each other from grammar school up through high school and college. That definitely attracted me to this borough.”
The borough’s diversity is also attractive to him, he said.
Captain Kevin Russell's first day
Capt. Gzim Palaj, left, transfers command of the 123rd Precinct to Capt. Kevin Russell on Tuesday August. 12, 2025. STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
“The people here are great and it’s very diverse,” he said. ”There are little pockets where you can get any kind of food you want. So the neighborhoods are very strongly kept where people know each other and have a vested interest in the community. The people throughout this entire borough were either born and raised here and they stayed, or they moved here and they fell in love with it and they didn’t leave.”
Just like he did.
“I‘m grateful, happy, and thrilled to be here. I look forward to working with the community, with the cops here, and to do our number one overall job: continue to keep crime down and just make this a great place to work,” said Russell.
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