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Crime, Law and Justice
MPR News Staff

Metro Transit police chief placed on paid leave

A man stands and smiles-2
Metro Transit Police Chief Ernest Morales III speaks with colleagues ahead of a news conference at the Lake Street light rail station in Minneapolis in August 2023.
Matt Sepic | MPR News file

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The Metro Transit police chief is on paid leave.

The Metropolitan Council, which oversees Metro Transit, said that Ernest Morales III went on leave on Friday. Metro Transit has not provided further information on what prompted that move, or how long the leave may last.

Morales took over leadership of Metro Transit police in early 2023. Prior to coming to Minnesota, he spent most of his career with the New York City Police Department.

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The Metro Transit Police Department includes more than 100 full-time officers in addition to several dozen other staff members. The department responds to and investigates crimes on bus, light rail and commuter rail lines in the Twin Cities.

Metro Transit officials last week said that reported crime on the transit system dropped 17.5 percent in the second quarter, while ridership increased 9 percent in the first half of 2024 compared to the same periods last year.