By Shayne Guzman
With reporting by Victor Ramos and Raul Ramos
When Douglas Moodie was a boy growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, more than thirty years ago he saw the police abusing boys and men, and it left a negative impression on him about the police.
After those early experiences, he and his family immigrated to the United States and settled in the Southeast Queens neighborhood of Queens Village. Shortly after arriving in the community, he was walking down the street when he saw two police officers. At first, he was concerned, should he turn and run the other way, or cautiously walk by them. Instead, he approached them and found that they were friendly, and they exchanged some brief banter. That conversation changed the course of his life. He decided to become a police officer, driven by a desire to protect his community and neighbors. He aimed to change the public’s perception of the police, demonstrating that they were there to serve and help, not intimidate.
Today, 42-year-old Douglas S. Moodie is Captain Moodie and is the current commander of the NYPD’s 105th Precinct in Queens. He rose to this position in October 2024, Captain Moodie said that he was very proud and excited when he found out that he was to be assigned the 105th Precinct, since it was part of the Queens Village neighborhood he grew up in when he came to the City from his native Kingston, Jamaica.
But we are getting a bit ahead in his story. After Moodie decided to become a police officer he enrolled in college, working to get the 68 college credits he needed to become a New York City cop. He was also in the Marines’ military reserves, and when 9-11 happened, he was deployed twice, in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 in Iraq, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2004. After serving five years, he was honorably discharged in 2007.
In January 2008, he joined the NYPD, and for the past 17 years he has been on the job. When Captain Moodie greets you it is with a quite firm handshake, possibly a lingering effect from his time in the military. He doesn’t see strong differences between his time in the military and his work in policing, which makes sense since police forces are paramilitary organizations. He found that his time in the military was particularly beneficial to him because it provided him with a strong sense of discipline, which is helpful in his police work.
Captain Moodie began his police career as Officer Moodie, assigned to the transit unit of the department. As he reminisces back to those days, he tells a story of an encounter he had with a young man jumping a turnstile.
He was working inside the transit stop at 169 street and Hillside Avenue where the F train stops. He saw a young man jump the turnstiles. He stopped the young man, who told him he was on his way to an interview, but didn’t have any money to get there. Moodie could have detained him; he could have given him a summons. Instead, he let the young man go, but told him to come back and settle the situation when he had time the next day. To his surprise, the young man actually returned the next day, and proudly said he had gotten the job. It was a special moment for the young officer, who realized his faith in people was justified. This really impacted the Captain, and he found it a very meaningful moment in his career.
Moodie’s career took him from transit to Brooklyn South, where he worked as an officer in precincts Canarsie, Crown Heights, and Red Hook. With each precinct assignment, he rose through the ranks, becoming a sergeant (69 Precinct Canarsie), lieutenant (71 Precinct Crown Heights), and Captain in Red Hook (76 Precinct).
Since becoming the captain of the 105th Precinct, Captain Moodie has been spending his days building camaraderie and encouraging his officers. He stays motivated by recalling how he felt when two young officers greeted him with respect and kindness upon his arrival in the United States as an impressionable boy.
Today, he not only wants boys and young men but all members of his Southeast Queens neighborhoods to have positive interactions and perceptions with him and his officers under his command. So if you encounter him within the 105 Precinct, he will likely greet you with a very firm handshake and a smile.