Tourists fall victim to street vendor scams in the Battery

THE BATTERY, Manhattan (PIX11) -- They're not exactly selling the Brooklyn Bridge, but vendors at The Battery are allegedly illegally selling tickets to enter the free NYC Park and steering tourists away from the authorized Statue City Cruises that go directly to Liberty Island.

Statue City Cruises is the only ferry company authorized to sell tickets in The Battery to Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty.

Rafael Abreu, the VP of Sales and Marketing for City Experiences Statue City Cruises, tells PIX11 News "Misinformation is what they do. It's really a bait and switch, they'll tell the visitor we're shut down for the day."

The vendors then charge nearly double the price and direct tourists to waiting buses that drive them to other Manhattan Piers for ferries that go past the Statue of Liberty.

"We're looking at anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 people not making it out to the State of Liberty on any given day. Some visitors have actually paid to enter the actual park itself," said Abreu.

Abreu says it adds up to "a million (dollars) in fees (not paid) to the New York City Parks and Recreation."

All vendors are prohibited from selling anything on NYC Parks Department land.

Abreu tells PIX11 News that Statue City Cruises has been working with the NYPD's 1st precinct and the NYC Parks Department to get rid of the illegal vendors, but says, "What we haven't seen is consistent enforcement throughout the area, we'll see sporadic enforcement here and there."

PIX11 News reached out to the NYPD and the NYC Parks Department. The Parks Department said they've added additional signs to inform visitors where tickets can be sold and who the authorized vendor is. In a statement, a spokesperson said "Park Enforcement Officers patrol the area regularly and conduct joint details with NYPD to ensure that park rules are observed and enforced."

The NYPD issued a statement saying "The 1st Precinct is aware of the various quality of life conditions that exist at Battery Park. The NYPD deployment at the location consists of the NCO team, FTU personnel, and the public safety team. In addition, we conduct joint operations with the Manhattan South BID as well as Community Link joint operations with our Community Response Teams, DCWP, and DOH. Directed patrols are conducted with the Parks Department and enforcement action is taken against violators. The precinct will continue to address community concerns in Battery Park as is evident by the 195% year-to-date increase in arrests and 58% increase in summonses."