New York City Mayor Eric Adams vetoed a City Council bill that would decrease criminal misdemeanor penalties imposed on vendors who sell illegal or unlicensed substances. The bill, titled Introduction 47-B, was passed with a considerable majority. However, the mayor said he vetoed it on behalf of public safety and quality of life in New York City, which is threatened by illicit vending.
“Since day one, our administration has been committed not just to making New Yorkers safe, but to making them feel safe, too — and that includes addressing persistent quality-of-life issues like illegal street vending,” Adams said of the bill in a statement recorded by the New York Post. “Our law enforcement officers play a vital role in keeping our streets clear of unlicensed vendors and protecting small business owners who follow the rules from being undercut by those who don’t.”
“We cannot be so idealistic that we’re not realistic…” Adams continued. “[P]reventing the brave men and women of the NYPD from intervening, even in the most egregious cases, is unfair to law-abiding business owners and poses real public health and safety risks.”
The City Council issued a statement against Mayor Adams’ veto of the bill, alleging the mayor of colluding with the agenda of President Trump.
“As the Trump administration continues to attack working families and immigrant communities, Mayor Adams’ veto is yet another example of him supporting Trump’s agenda over New Yorkers,” the Council said. “The Council will consider its next steps to protect our city from a mayor willing to put his own political needs over people and sound policy that keeps us all safe, with access to opportunity.”
According to the City Council, the amount of arrests made recently over illegal vending is of concern.
“In 2023, the NYPD issued more than 1,200 criminal vending tickets, almost triple the number of tickets given out the previous year and six times the number issued in 2019 when the NYPD was still the primary enforcement agency,” they wrote.
Moreover, these charges allegedly make it difficult for the convicted people to access educational, employment, and housing opportunities, along with “jeopardizing immigration status.”
