At the West 12th Street Flea Market on Surf Avenue in Coney Island, “they sell stolen goods all the time,” one police officer told Bay Currents after a horde of police officers swarmed the flea market earlier this summer.
Johnny, a local resident was standing in line waiting to buy some of the bargain-priced goods just before the raid. A young boy ahead of him tried to purchase an iPod. As the man behind the counter handed the boy the iPod, several women unleashed their badges and told everyone in the flea market to stand up against a wall. “The officers searched me and the man who sold the boy the iPod. I left as more police officers came,” said Johnny.
“You can go to the West 12th street flea market any afternoon and you will see along the walls IPODs, smart phone and expensive electronics that they steal on the beach or boardwalk,” said the police officer. “We traced down a phone number that belonged to a kid’s cell phone that was reported stolen, and we found it in the West 12th Street Flea Market. The same thing happened with a girl whose cell phone was stolen. Whenever we walk close to the flea market they shut down.”
Then why is the West 12th Street Flea Market still open?
The law says that they are innocent until proven guilty -- that law protects both citizens and the flea market. What I suggest to you is that you should go there yourself and sell them an expensive phone, take a picture of it. Then have someone else come in and say, hey I want to buy that phone…and they will just give it to you.”
Johnny had a prediction: The West 12th Street Flea Market is being watched by Coney Island Police, they are going to get raided constantly until they shut down.”
