Fordham Road Patrol ambassadors monitor illegal vendors on the streets
NEW YORK - Fordham Road's Patrol Ambassador Program is monitoring the streets and working to curb illegal activity in the neighborhood.
CBS New York first reported on the program back in June when it was part-time, and after our story aired, the program received money that has now fully funded it for the next six months.
But this time, they took CBS New York on a tour through Fordham Road, where ambassadors tell us they're monitoring a problem they say is frequent on the block.
"My approach really is not to really just say nothing, but just to observe," explained Khadian Crichlow, who is a Fordham Road Patrol Ambassador.
Crichlow is the eyes and ears for the community on Fordham Road. He's part of the Patrol Ambassadors Program funded by the Fordham Road BID. His role is to check in with local business owners and patrol the streets.
But there's one thing he runs into over and over again…
"It could be up to 200, 300 on a good day, or even goes up to 500 on a good sunny day," said Crichlow. He says local storefronts deal with illegal vendors creating unfair competition and oftentimes blocking visibility on the streets.
"On this side right here, we have vendors all the way up to the corner over here," said Jason Ramos, who was security at NYC Bronx Inc.
The Fordham Road BID says it's their responsibility and goal to look out for the established businesses here.
"We just want the law to be followed," said Albert Dalipi, from the Fordham Road BID. "We want it to be in a way that's conducive for the better environment of Fordham."
But for these vendors, every sale matters and so does every dollar for Vincente Veintimilla and his family, who came here from Ecuador.
"I don't have other option. We don't have any opportunity without papers," said Veintimilla, a vendor on Fordham Road.
Veintimilla says he's been waiting to get a license to vend for almost seven years. "The license is only dreams," he said.
Without a license, he's been hit with mounting tickets, each one costing $250. He says it takes about two weeks to pay just one off.
City Council members are looking to lift the cap on vendor licenses through new legislation, and the city says right now, they offer a total of 853 licenses to non-veterans. Right now, there are more than 10,000 names on the General Vendor waitlist, according to the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.
Fordham Road BID says they're hoping they can create cohesion for all businesses at some point.
"It's a complex issue, especially on Fordham Road, and for us, I think we're trying to find ways to work with all stakeholders and try to make the community be a thriving one," said Dalipi.
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