New CO takes helm of 50th

The 50th Precinct has a new commanding officer as of this week.

Captain Terence O’Toole is succeeding Deputy Inspector Paul Rasa, who led the 50th starting in fall 2013.

Capt. O’Toole came from Patrol Borough Queens North. A statement from the precinct here said he “was appointed to the New York City Police Department in July 1985. He was promoted to Sergeant in September 1992; Lieutenant in May 2000; and Captain in October 2004. Captain O’Toole has served in the 46th, 115th, and 108th Precincts as well as the Transit Bureau Outreach” and the Taxi Squad.

“Community policing is a core component of the NYPD’s methodology and you can be sure that Captain O’Toole will work diligently to build on the efforts of his predecessor,” the statement added.

The new commanding officer joins the 50th shortly after the neighborhood saw the first murder of the year, on the morning of July 8 at 5521 Broadway. A woman was reportedly raped in the same week. This year has also seen several major heroin busts, and crime was up 3 percent for the first six months of 2015 compared to the same time last year.

Deputy Inspector Rasa received an assignment at the Detective Bureau, Queens South.