YONKERS, N.Y. — Authorities in Yonkers have ramped up enforcement against unlicensed smoke shops, issuing over 100 summonses and seizing more than $500,000 in illegal marijuana and related products, the Yonkers Police Department announced.
The multi-agency crackdown began after a 2023 arrest involving a smoke shop on Lake Avenue where staff allegedly sold cannabis products to a 14-year-old girl in a school uniform, police said Sunday.
“That point, we knew we had to take aggressive action to get ahead of this problem,” the department said in a statement.
Under the direction of Mayor Mike Spano and Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza, Yonkers police partnered with the city’s fire department, housing and buildings inspectors, code enforcement officials, and Corporation Counsel to investigate mounting complaints from the public.
Since early 2024, the task force has conducted dozens of inspections at smoke shops across the city. Officials said those visits uncovered widespread illegal sales of marijuana and related products, including sales to minors, and repeated building code violations.
Stores shut down, violations issued
Authorities said three stores were permanently shuttered after being declared public nuisances. The shops faced multiple charges including illegal sales and serious safety infractions.
In total, the joint task force seized tens of thousands of illicit items during the citywide sweep. The seized goods included marijuana packaged for retail sale and paraphernalia not authorized under state law.
Key Points
- Yonkers police issued over 100 summonses and seized $500K in illegal goods from local smoke shops.
- Three stores were permanently closed for drug sales and code violations.
- The crackdown follows a 2023 incident where marijuana was sold to a 14-year-old.
City officials emphasized support for legal businesses but warned that violations involving unlicensed drug sales, especially to minors, would not be tolerated.
Yonkers authorities shut down illegal cannabis sales disguised as neighborhood smoke shops.