On November 26, 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law our “Det. Brian Simonsen Bill,” drafted at the behest of the DEA and named after our hero Detective who lost his life in the line of duty on February 12, 2019, when he responded to the armed robbery of a cell phone store in Queens.
The law seeks to cut down on the theft of cell phones and the resulting crimes, including murder, committing during the thefts by holding cell phone companies responsible for deactivating the phones once they are reported stolen.
Back in 2021, the DEA first proposed the legislation with the goal of forcing cell phone companies to render their product obsolete once the hardware was stolen, thus eliminating the incentive for perpetrators to rob and kill for these objects. The bill went through several drafts and eventually went to Albany. The Assembly bill (A. 08994A, sponsored by Amy Paulin, Assembly District 88) and the Senate bill (S. 07739B, sponsored by Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, State Senate District 23), were passed by their respective legislative houses, and has now been signed into law by the Governor.
New York State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton said, “The NYPD puts their lives at risk every day to protect and serve our community. Unfortunately, our officers too often make the ultimate sacrifice, as criminals repeatedly endanger people for financial gain, whether by targeting innocent retail workers or individuals on the street. I’m proud to sponsor this legislation to better regulate the resale of stolen goods and help prevent further tragedies caused by criminals profiting from illegal activities. Thank you to Governor Hochul for signing my bill into law and to Paul DiGiacomo, Scott Munro, and the DEA for their advocacy.”
New York State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin said, “Any robbery has the potential to turn into something violent, which we saw in New York City where Detective Brian Simonsen was tragically killed during a cell phone store robbery. We need to keep our officers and residents safe, and this new law is a commonsense step in that direction. If robbers know they won’t be able to use the phones they steal, there’s no reason to steal them. I thank Governor Hochul for taking this step to help prevent crime before it happens and keep New Yorkers safe.”
The DEA thanks Governor Hochul, State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, and all those whose valuable input into this important piece of legislation successfully turned it into law.
Said DEA President Scott Munro, “This law will go a very long way toward keeping all New Yorkers safe, and at the same time, it honors our hero Detective who lost his life in the line of duty.” Det. Simonsen was the DEA’s union Delegate from the 102 Squad when he was killed. Ironically, the union had a Delegates’ meeting that morning, so Simonsen did not have to report back to work that afternoon. However, his strong work ethic steered him back to his office where he was handling several investigations of robbery patterns in Queens. When the radio call came in about the robbery in progress of a T-Mobile store in Richmond Hill, Simonsen responded to the scene and was fatally shot.
