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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, Deputy Director of Street Vendor Project on Street Vending Enforcement and Licensing
1:48:01
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153 sec
Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, Deputy Director of the Street Vendor Project, testified in support of Intros 431, 408, and 1251, addressing the challenges faced by street vendors due to excessive enforcement and the need for institutional support. She highlighted the ineffectiveness of current enforcement practices and their potential negative impacts on immigrant vendors.
- Street vending faces enforcement from at least seven city agencies, with NYPD issuing the highest number of summonses in 2024.
- Current enforcement practices are costly and ineffective, with DSNY operating at a loss per summons.
- The lack of outreach, education, and compliance support for street vendors puts immigrant vendors at risk of deportation due to increased interactions with law enforcement.
Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez
1:48:01
Good afternoon.
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My name is Karina Kaufman Gutierrez, and I'm the deputy director at the Street Vendor Project.
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Thank you, Chair Menon, for the opportunity to testify today in support of Intro four thirty one, four zero eight, and twelve fifty one.
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Perhaps no industry in New York City faces enforcement from as many agencies and departments as street vending.
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There are at least seven city agencies that play a role in enforcement.
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The amount of summonses issued, both civil and criminal, just keeps climbing.
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NYPD was in fact the agency that issued the highest number of summonses in 2024, '9 thousand '3 hundred and '70 '6 total, 18% of which were criminal.
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And this was five times higher than in 2019 when the agency was actually the one in charge of vendor enforcement.
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In 2024, DSNY conducted more confiscations than tickets, 4,323 confiscations versus 4,144.
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This ticketing is costly and ineffective.
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Researchers with Cornell University found DSNY operates at nearly a $21 loss per summons.
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And as you heard today, there is not a single city agency that conducts outreach, education, or compliance with street vendor small businesses.
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Having equal institutional support for small businesses is not only fair, it's better for the city.
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We've seen incredible success in community education and outreach.
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When we can equip vendors with information, tools, and a clear path to follow, they know how to operate and can focus on what they love to do, making their food and serving the community.
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Now should the council not act, what is the impact of this costly and ineffective enforcement?
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Number one, immigration risks.
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Increased NYPD policing equals increased risk of ICE policing.
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As long as the current outdated vending system is in place, this council is putting street vendors at risk of interactions with law enforcement.
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When immigrants who are at risk of deportation have encounters with the police for any reason, their risk of getting funneled into detention and deportation increases regardless of the outcome of the case.
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How does this play out in real life?
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One of our members received a criminal court ticket for vending without a permit.
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The day of her court appointment, her daughter was
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Her daughter was sick at school.
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She had the impossible choice to make between taking her daughter to the hospital or showing up in criminal court because if she didn't show up, a warrant would be automatically issued for her arrest.
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Lastly, this is a loss to the cultural fabric of New York City.
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We're thankful for the councils listening to this to pass the street vendor form package.
1:50:33
Thank you.
Julie Menin
1:50:08
Okay, I'm just gonna ask you if you could please wrap up and then submit the testimony.
1:50:12
Thank you.