New York – The top ranking NYPD official hand picked by Police Commissioner Bill Bratton to clean up the scandal-scarred License Division has abruptly quit the force, DNAinfo reported.
Inspector Terence Moore, a 31-year veteran from the Internal Affairs Bureau, was appointed the head of the department’s License Division just two weeks ago after it was rocked by a corruption scandal that centered on a Brooklyn businessman who arrested by the feds for allegedly bribing officers to get gun permits for his friends and clients.
But Moore last Friday suddenly handed in his retirement papers, then returned to his first floor office to thank his staff for their cooperation during his handful of days in charge of the unit. He then cleaned out his office and left Police Headquarters.
“He called his staff in and thanked them for making his short stay their a pleasant one,” a source told DNAinfo New York’s “On the Inside.” “Monday morning his office was empty, all his things were already packed up and moved out.”
After departing One Police Plaza, Moore told acquaintances that his decision was for undisclosed “personal reasons,” another source said.
It was not clear who would replace Moore.
He was hand picked to clean up the mess inside the License Division after U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara accused businessman Shay Lichtenstein, 44, with paying up to $6,000 to cops for a gun permit for his clients.
