Deputies crack down on illegal street vendors

Deputies with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Station’s Crime Prevention Unit assisted with an operation that targeted “illegal food vendors” Thursday night. Photo courtesy of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station.
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Deputies with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Station’s Crime Prevention Unit assisted with an operation that targeted “illegal food vendors” Thursday night.

According to a post from the official SCV Sheriff’s Station Facebook account, the Crime Prevention Unit was asked by City Code enforcement to conduct the operation after numerous residents relayed complaints about health concerns.

“A vendor operating illegally was found near Pine and Newhall Avenue,” the post said. “The couple from Los Angeles running it were preparing and selling food without a health department permit and without a city issued vending permit.”

They were then given a citation, and asked to leave the area.

“Approximately 45 minutes later, deputies checked back and the couple had brazenly set up shop in the very same place,” officials said. “This time, administrative citations were issued with a higher fine and citations for their vehicles which were parked in designated ‘no parking’ zones.”

Sheriff’s Station said in the post that some people may question citing or drawing issue with these kind of food establishments, but officials highlighted that it’s important to not “compromise when it comes to food safety, because your health is at stake.”

In addition to there being no electricity, no dish or hand washing stations, there are also no thermometers, vermin and insects, no method of tracing food back to its original source, and no food safety training for employees, the post said.

“There is an elevated risk for illness to be transmitted through food sold in this manner,” said the post. “We care about keeping you safe from crime, and we care about your health too. We will run more operations in the near future to scout out food vendors operating illegally, compromising our community’s well-being.”

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