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Mamdani pledged support for NYC street vendors. Now they’re facing a crackdown.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Nov 5, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET
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Liam Quigley/Gothamist
By
Liam Quigley
Published Nov 5, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani has pledged to support street vendors, but under his administration tickets for people illegally hawking trinkets and merch have reached new highs, data shows.
Tickets issued by Parks Enforcement Patrol for unlawful vending reached 2,237 by the end of September, jumping 671 tickets — or 43% — from the same time in 2025.
Data shows parks officers are also issuing many more tickets for the relatively obscure offense of “unattended personal belongings.” In 2025, parks enforcement officers issued just 55 such tickets. They’ve issued 429 summonses for unattended belongings so far this year.
The trend comes after Mamdani created an office of street vendor services in March, which is led by longtime vendor advocate Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez. "Our street vendors are not a problem to solve, they are a community to support," Mamdani said at the time.
The mayor’s office and parks department did not return a request for comment about the expanded enforcement.
Licensed Vendor John Golden said he’s getting slapped with violations for unattended personal belongings even though he has a license to sell merchandise at City Hall Park. Data shows he’s been hit with at least three violations.
“They give us the tickets and tell us to go fight in court, and we beat them, and they still come back. It’s harassment,” he said.
He said understood that unlicensed vendors are just trying to earn a living, but was frustrated he was also being caught in the crackdown.
“I understand that unlicensed guys gotta make money 'cause they got a family to feed too... I'd rather see you come out and work in the streets than rob and steal,” he said.
Data shows vending enforcement is concentrated in City Hall Park, the Battery and Central Park.
Liam Quigley/Gothamist
Parks enforcement patrol officers have issued 98 tickets for unattended personal belongings so far this year at City Hall Park.
DC37 Local 983 President Joe Puleo, who represents the roughly 350 parks enforcement officers in the city, said his members are addressing a problem that surged after the pandemic.
“ If you don't address it, it's just gonna get worse and worse,” he said. ”Foot traffic equals dollar signs.”
The City Council passed a bill last year ending jail time and criminal charges for breaking street vending rules.
Data shows Parks Enforcement Patrol officers have issued more tickets overall compared to last year. PEP officers typically crack down on unleashed dogs, drinking or smoking in parks, unlicensed operation of pedicabs and public urination.
Parks officers issued 6,591 tickets through September of 2026 according to city data, a surge of 59% compared to the same period last year.
Mayor Eric Adams banished vendors from the Brooklyn Bridge near City Hall Park in 2023, citing crowding concerns.
Mamdani has long supported efforts to increase the number of permits issued to street vendors. He filmed an early viral video for his campaign at a halal cart. He called vendors “the heart of New York City” in a tweet in December, shortly before taking office.
A press release on Kaufman-Gutierrez's appointment in March said she would "reduce unnecessary penalties and advance fair enforcement."
The city will begin distributing 10,500 new vending licenses in January.
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parks
Liam Quigley
Liam Quigley is a reporter covering parks & sanitation for Gothamist and WNYC. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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