750+ illegal pot shops shut down in New York City since April
MOTT HAVEN, the Bronx (WABC) -- Officials say 779 illegal marijuana shops have been shut down since New York City started its crackdown in April.
The closures came after the state legislature passed new laws to crack down on the unsanctioned shops. Previously, the city's power to step in had been limited and the legal market was bogged down in red tape.
More than 41,000 violations have been issued, amounting to $65,671,487 in penalties. The city estimates it has already seized a total value of $41,443,792 in illegal products.
Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams celebrated the success of the crackdown on Wednesday.
"In the three months since launching 'Operation Padlock to Protect,' our administration has delivered major results on a major quality of life and public safety issue," Adams said. "For too long, illegal shops have contributed to a feeling that anything goes on our streets, while targeting our most vulnerable - including children - with dangerous, counterfeit products marketed as candy.
Officials also showed off their haul of seized illegal weed products now filling up an NYPD property clerk warehouse in the Bronx.
Bags and bins full of items taken out of storefronts and their distributors that have been getting raided since May, when a new state law allowed for stepped up local enforcement and penalties.
What may be most disturbing, and very illegal, about the unregulated items, is their candy-like packaging.
"This is intentionally designed to draw the eye and the interest of our children, creating lifelong addictions to products that they never should have had at such a young age, when it has an effect on them," Hochul said.
And the crackdown this summer has been effective, according to Councilmember Gale Brewer, who blasted the arrogance of shops in her district that kept reopening before the law kicked in.
Now, many shops ordered closed are staying closed -- in part because their landlords now face fines of $50,000. So they're getting evicted.
"Since the state law passed, no new shops have opened," Brewer said. "To the best of my knowledge, that's good news."
The mayor says the law will have to continue to adapt as criminals get creative. But now the Sheriff's office, which is leading the inspecting, confiscating and padlocking has nearly 200 NYPD officers on its task force, and the NYPD has been following up to make sure the shops stay closed, and only sell legal items if they do pay their fines and reopen.
The sheriff says some of the best help has come from citizens who complain.
"It's the community's voice that we hear first, when you live in a community, you know, when a shop is opening up and you also know when they're selling illegal products and they're targeting our children," said Sheriff Anthony Miranda.
At least 100 shops have successfully defended themselves against the crackdown and fines, sometimes by citing faulty paperwork or the sheriff's lack of evidence. Some of those businesses eventually closed anyway.
About 60 licensed weed shops are operating throughout the city and many of their businesses are hurt by the illegal shops.
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