Cops crack down on vendors

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Just hours after the borough president’s press conference, officers from the 50th Precinct arrived at the corner of West 231st Street and Broadway in an apparent crackdown on street vendors.

Police asked individuals selling books, perfume and fruit at the intersection to show their permits. When the vendors were unable to present their documents, the authorities confiscated the books and perfume and told all of the vendors to shut down by the next day.

Along with lacking permits, at least one vendor, the bookseller, appeared to be in violation of rules about the size of street tables. While those regulations limit vendors to one table, which cannot exceed eight feet in length or three feet in width, the bookseller’s wares were spread over a number of large tables. The perfume vendor reached out to his partner to retrieve his license, but was unable to make contact. As a result, police confiscated all 303 of the items he had for sale, while the fruit vendors were ordered to clear out their tables by the next day.

“I have to pay for a crime I don’t think I committed,” the perfume vendor explained. “What can I do now that I’ve lost everything?”

He said he plans to attend a summons hearing in October and that he will try to retrieve the items confiscated by the police.

Councilman Andrew Cohen’s office released a statement on Tuesday saying he had urged authorities to issue violations to illegal street vendors last month. “My office works closely with the [Kingsbirdge Business Improvement District] and this topic came up as a real problem,” he told The Press. “There were some vendors sticking their noses up at the rules and regulations.”

The commanding officer of the 50th Precinct suggested any vendors with questions regarding the rules consult the Environmental Control Board.

Andrew Cohen, street vendors, Kingsbridge BID, Will Speros