San Francisco to ban street vending on Mission Street, supervisor announces

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco is taking an aggressive stand against street vending. Supervisor Hillary Ronen announced in a newsletter that street vending along Mission Street in the Mission District and around BART stations will soon no longer be allowed.

The supervisor says stolen goods are being sold along the streets and it is now putting other people in danger.

"To make it clear and simple, no vending on Mission Street right now," said Santiago Lerma who is a legislative aide for Supervisor Hillary Ronen.

The supervisor put out a community newsletter Tuesday saying that starting in November the city will ban street vending on Mission Street.

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"What we have seen over the last year and a half is Mission Street really being flooded with large scale fencing organizations," says Lerma.

Fencing operations involve the buying and selling of stolen goods. San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott is well aware of the problems in the area.

"We've done operations, we've arrested some fencers this is what they do, they buy stolen goods for very little money and then they sell it on the black market if you will," said Chief Scott.

Lerma says the situation is so bad that workers fear for their safety when asking individuals for permits.

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"To the point where our public works inspectors are now wearing bulletproof vests while they're walking the street - they are escorted by police but that is the danger that is out there for city workers," said Lerma.

"They have been subject to attacks, assaults, verbal and physical assaults, so it really makes it difficult for them to do their job," said Chief Scott.

Both Chief Scott and some city leaders blame a 2018 state law that they say basically decriminalized street vending, for some of the recent problems with stolen goods.

Lerma says the city is now working to try to obtain an indoor space in the Mission where permitted vendors can legally sell their items.

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