S.F. seeks to step up illegal vending fight
San Francisco officials, still struggling to rein in illegal vending in the Mission, U.N. Plaza and in other hot spots, want to get tougher with those selling stolen goods on sidewalks.
New legislation proposed this week would give illegal vendors just 10 minutes to clear out before enforcement officers issue a citation and confiscate their goods. Whether that will work isn’t clear. Some enforcement officers have described the job as a “living nightmare” because of frequent assaults and threats of violence from illegal vendors. Public Works has offered employees bulletproof vests for the job.
The new rule will apply to parts of the city where street vending is currently allowed, and not in areas where the city has imposed a street vending ban, such as U.N. Plaza and along Mission Street.
In addition to the 10-minute warning, the bill sponsored by Supervisor Hillary Ronen and Mayor London Breed would require vending permits to include a photo of the vendor to prevent the transfer or sale of permits, and it would allow Public Works to change its enforcement policies without commission approval to give the department more flexibility in responding to the crisis. The legislation also makes clear that vendors must have receipts for used and new items they sell, and that vendors must register with the San Francisco Tax Collector.
Officials argue that since a 2018 state law legalized street vending across California, San Francisco has seen unsanctioned street vendors flooding areas like UN Plaza, the Mission District and near the Giants’ ballpark.
Breed is facing criticism from her opponents in the upcoming mayoral race over street conditions. Former supervisor and interim Mayor Mark Farrell, who is running against Breed, wants to make permanent a temporary ban on street vending in the Mission and extend the ban to other areas.
Fencers of stolen goods in the Mission District have been particularly disruptive in recent years, especially around the neighborhood’s two BART stations, where there is frequent violence associated with illegal vendors and sidewalks are often inaccessible.
To deal with the problem, the city instituted in November a 90-day ban of vending along a stretch of Mission Street and extended the ban in February for six more months after street conditions improved and sidewalks got cleaner.
The city has also moved aggressively to help those who want to get a permit to sell their goods legally. As part of that effort, the city set up two indoor vending marketplaces for legitimate vendors to sell their goods, but the move hasn’t worked.
Sales have been so bad at one of the two marketplaces that the city will consolidate them to a public space called La Placita near 24th and Mission streets next week, with 20 total vendor spots available.
Ronen said fencers of stolen goods have made life “untenable for legitimate vendors, who face constant harassment and extortion,” and for residents on their way to BART and Muni stops who must wade through blocked sidewalks and people selling stolen goods. Ronen said it’s important to protect legitimate vendors, who sell artisanal goods, flowers, jewelry, clothing and other products and have made the Mission District such a vibrant neighborhood. Small business owners have also been hit, including MoMo’s proprietor Scott Morton, who said unlicensed San Francisco Giants gear being peddled around the ballpark has led to a 40% decrease in merchandise sales at his popular sports bar.
Morton said he was threatened by illegal street vendors and often fears for his safety.
“I spend much more time worrying about how I would make an escape if they go after us,” Morton said. “But these illegal, unlicensed vendors with no permits who are probably not paying any business taxes are destroying our legal licensed business.”
Ronen said the city is also working with the state to amend the 2018 state vending law to allow for stricter enforcement for the sale of stolen goods. The law made it illegal for police departments to intervene in enforcement of illegal sales, which has been criticized by Breed and other San Francisco officials as well as by officials in other parts of the state.
Juan Mendoza, who is a permitted street vendor, told the Board of Supervisors in a committee meeting Monday that he welcomes the changes but wants to see more done for people like him.
“We as vendors have allied with each other to make sure we have our permits,” Mendoza said. “But what we are asking for is the ability to support our families and pay our bills.”