OUR MISSION
The primary purpose of the MTA PBA is to serve as a representative for the welfare of union members and to be the sole collective bargaining agent for all Police Officers, Detectives, Sergeants, and Lieutenants.
The secondary purpose of the Association is:
To promote and develop a friendly and fraternal spirit among members of the Police Department.
To aid fellow members in good standing upon necessity or emergency.
To advance the general welfare and efficiency of the members of the Police Department.
To promote legislation beneficial to the interests of the members and their families and to oppose legislation detrimental to those interests.
About us
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department is the police agency of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Officers of the MTAPD are fully empowered under the New York State Public Authorities Law and are commissioned in the state of Connecticut. Its jurisdiction extends across fourteen counties in two states, covers approximately 5,000 square miles, including New York City, Long Island, southeastern New York State and southern Connecticut, and serves a population of 14.4 million people.
The department was formed in 1998 with the consolidation of the Long Island Railroad and the Metro-North Railroad Police Departments. Since 9/11, the department has expanded in size and has ramped up dramatically its counter-terrorism capabilities, adding canine teams and emergency services officers.
On June 1, 2005 the 25-member MTA Staten Island Railway Police Department – which was responsible for policing Staten Island Railway – merged with the MTA Police. This was the most recent step in consolidating MTA agency law enforcement, and increased the total workforce of the department to 716, including civilians.
On March 3rd 2016, the MTA Police Department attained accreditation status from the New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services—Accreditation Council, marking a significant historic step for the group.
The distinction makes MTAPD the fourth largest accredited law enforcement agency in New York State behind the New York State Police, Suffolk County and Rochester County Police Departments. It also makes the MTAPD the first dual jurisdictional agency to achieve this honor.
Our department is responsible for patrolling and securing Grand Central Terminal, Penn Station, and the infrastructure—including tracks, yards, shops, stations, and railroad crossings—of Metro-North, the LIRR and the Staten Island Railway across the MTA's operating area.
In 2019 the Governor's Office committed to hiring an additional 500 Police Officers to address Fare Evasion, Homeless, and other Quality of Life issues in the NYC Transit system. Our workforce now comprises nearly 1100 sworn officers and civilians who work in nine districts extending across 14 counties in New York and Connecticut. Our personnel also work in the following special units:
Emergency Services Unit
Hybrid Threat Unit
Detective Division
Body Worn Camera Unit
Highway Unit
Fare Evasion Task Force
Cyber Crimes
Internal Affairs Bureau
Homeless Assistance Unit
Transit Operations
Interagency Counterterrorism Task Force
K9 Unit