Town dedicates street to honor fallen NYPD officer

The Town of Oyster Bay, along with the New York City Police Department and other local officials recently dedicated a Hicksville Street in honor of fallen NYPD officer Thomas P. Connelly, who died in the line of duty as a result of cancer he developed after being exposed to toxins while working at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks.

A “Terence P. Connelly Way” street sign was unveiled by Officer Connelly’s family at the corner of Blueberry Lane and Elmira Street in Hicksville, which is situated on the block where he grew up and his parents, Mary and Henry Connelly, still reside.

Officer Connelly, a rookie cop with the 112th Precinct at the time, responded when the Twin Towers fell and worked at Ground Zero with others searching for survivors in the days and weeks following the 9/11 attacks. Terence was just 47 when he passed away on February 8, 2021.

“Terence responded into danger when his fellow Americans needed help,” said Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino. “Officer Connelly is a true American Hero, but also as a kind and warm-hearted person who was a loving husband and a fantastic father.”

Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino (seventh from right) and his colleagues in Town government, including Councilman Tom Hand (right), Councilwoman Vicki Walsh (third from right), Councilwoman Laura Maier (fifth from right), joined by New York State Senator Steve Rhoads (second from right), Nassau County Legislator Rose Marie Walker (sixth from left) and officials from the New York Police Department (NYPD) in a ceremonious street dedication to honor fallen NYPD Officer Terence P. Connelly.

Supervisor Saladino noted that when people pass by this block, they will remember NYPD Police Officer Terence P. Connelly as an exemplary first responder who did not hesitate to act, even if the situation was perilous, and as someone who always put the safety of residents, ahead of his own.

“This street, in the community where he lived for many years, will forever serve as a reminder of his sacrifice and his extraordinary life,” added Supervisor Saladino.