Hamden — Local police accountability advocate Rhonda Caldwell has abruptly stepped down from her post as chairwoman of the Hamden Police Commission.

In an email that was lean on details, Caldwell told Mayor Lauren Garrett on Thursday that she was resigning her seat on the board "effective immediately."

The reason for Caldwell's resignation was not immediately apparent Monday. Garrett, who shared a copy of the email, said the decision came as a surprise and that she did not know why Caldwell chose to leave the post.

"I have absolutely no comment," Caldwell said when a reporter reached her by phone.

There has been recent discussion on the police board about choosing new officers.

When the police board met on June 20, Commissioner Elaine Dove said she wanted to add an item to the agenda for the next meeting that would allow the board to elect a new chair and vice chair, according to a meeting recording.

Garrett tapped Caldwell for the commission early last year as part of a slate of five brand-new police commissioners. Her four other nominees —Dove, Vaughn Willis, Daniel Dunn and Frank LaDore — still hold seats.

Caldwell had missed a few recent meetings. When asked about her absences, she said they had to do with work.

Caldwell, who is known for her activism around issues of police oversight, founded the social justice group Hamden Action Now in the wake of the 2019 officer-involved shooting of Stephanie Washington.

In April 2019, then-Hamden police officer Devin Eaton shot and injured Washington while she was sitting unarmed in the passenger side of a vehicle in New Haven following a stop related to a report of an attempted robbery. Eaton later pleaded no contest to one count of first-degree assault in connection with the shooting; he no longer is a member of Hamden's police force.

The shooting sparked a wave of local police accountability protests, and Caldwell was among the organizers who called on the police commission to fire Eaton.

Since the new police commission took office early last year, tensions between commission officials and the department have occasionally spilled over into the news.

After taking a seat on the commission, Caldwell requested access to police officers' personnel files and internal affairs reports. She later expressed frustration over a delay in obtaining those records; tensions flared again when the town argued it was legally obligated to withhold some complaints from commissioners.

It is not yet clear who will fill Caldwell's seat on the commission. Garrett said she had a list of candidates in mind but had not made a final decision on a nominee.