Honorary renaming of South Jamesport Avenue planned in memory of Brian Simonsen
The Riverhead Town Board plans to vote Tuesday on a resolution to authorize the honorary name designation of “Detective Brian Simonsen Way” along South Jamesport Avenue.
The Board also is planning a vote to officially change the name of Lewis Street to “Dashan J. Briggs Way.”
The Jamesport Fire Department requested the honorary designation for Det. Simonsen, according to Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith.
Det. Simonsen, who served with the NYPD in Queens for 19 years, was killed in the line of duty Feb. 12 while responding to a report of an armed robbery at a cell phone store in Queens. He was 42.a
Thousands attended his funeral in Hampton Bays and his burial in Jamesport.
Det. Simonsen, nicknamed “Smiles,” grew up in Jamesport and was a 1995 graduate of Riverhead High School, where he played varsity football and baseball, was a homecoming prince, and volunteered for events like Special Olympics.
“The Jamesport Fire Department has requested that the town honor Det. Simonsen’s life of public service and dedication to our community with the honorary designation ‘Detective Brian Simonsen Way’ along South Jamesport Avenue,” the resolution states.
In addition to Tech. Sgt. Briggs and Det. Simonsen, the town has previously designated honorary street names for Private First Class Garfield Langhorn, Wading River Fire Chief Tom Lateulere, and FDNY Lt. Thomas Kelly.
The Town Board had previously given Lewis Street, where Tech. Sgt. Briggs grew up, an honorary designation in his name.
The honorary designation keeps the old street name and doesn’t require residents of the road to change their addresses. It merely adds the honorary street sign on top of the regular one.
But now, after discussions with Tech. Sgt. Briggs’ family and neighbors, the Town is planning to make Dashan J. Briggs Way the permanent name of the street.
