NYC detectives’ union head’s last task as prez was labor of love for slain officer
NY Post
Detectives Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo’s last task as head of the union was a labor of love.
He wanted to make sure legislation in the name of Detective Brian Simonsen, who was killed during a Queens phone store robbery in 2019, got signed into law by Gov. Hochul.
The bill requires phone companies to disable phones after they’re reported stolen so they can’t be pawned off by criminals after robberies like the one in which Simonsen was killed.
“If a cell phone is stolen the cell phone company has a certain amount of time to shut that phone down rendering it worthless on the black market,” said DiGiacomo, who’s stepping down as president later this month at 62 years old. “Right now, the phones go for between $400 to $1,000 on the black market.”
The bill’s supporters believe the move will cut down on robberies, burglaries and larcenies.
Simonsen was killed at a T-Mobile store in 2019, when a robber pointed what appeared to be a handgun at him, causing cops who were standing outside the corner store’s glass facade to fire, striking the officer.
