MTA Police Department Chief John Mueller is leaving his role leading the transit agency’s police force, according to a LinkedIn post written by the top cop Tuesday.
“As my time as the Chief of the MTAPD comes to an end, I want to express my deep gratitude for the opportunity to lead this exceptional police department for the past two and a half years,” he wrote.
An MTA official speaking on background Tuesday confirmed Mueller’s departure, saying he had submitted his resignation effective Dec. 31.
Mueller was “a valued member of the MTA leadership team,” MTA spokesman Tim Minton said. “We asked him repeatedly to stay, but he declined, and we regret his departure.”
Mueller came to the MTA in 2022 after a 28-year career with the Yonkers Police Department where he spent more than two years as commissioner. Sources described him as well-respected by the MTA PD’s rank-and-file.
“I love every one of you and I will cheer for you and I am grateful for you,” Mueller told his officers in a video attached to his LinkedIn post.
“Thank you for giving me such a great two-and-a-half year ride,” he added. “I wish I could have stayed longer.”
The MTA official said Mueller’s second-in-command, Chief Thomas Taffe, is serving as the acting chief of the MTA Police.
Two sources told The News that retired NYPD chief Judith Harrison’s name was being floated as Mueller’s permanent successor, but an MTA spokesman said no one had yet been selected for the role and a search for a permanent chief is ongoing.
The MTA Police — distinct from the NYPD’s transit bureau, which patrols the subway system — is largely responsible for patrolling the Metro North and Long Island Rail Road systems, including Grand Central and Penn Station. The department has about 1,200 sworn officers.
This story has been updated.