Legislation aims to end fraudulent ticket sales in NYC's Battery Park
New legislation is aiming to put a stop to fraudulent ticket sales in New York City's Battery Park.
"It's the biggest scam in New York City," Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said.
Some have reported hearing tourists being told they can't view the Statue of Liberty from the park or being forced onto buses to go to New Jersey.
The only authorized seller and provider of ferry services to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island is Statue City Cruises.
"I have had people who said to me, 'Oh, I have to buy tickets for this,' and I'm like, no, you don't," Staten Island resident Diane Arneth said, "and they said, 'This guy over here said I have to buy a ticket,' and I said, 'No, the Staten Island Ferry is free.'"
It's a problem CBS News New York has reporting on for more than a decade. In 2015, a man was arrested after police said he sold tourists $400 tickets for the Staten Island Ferry. In 2016, an undercover police operation ended with the arrest of more than two dozen people.
Kareem Holmes, the founder of Big City Tourism, said employees who sell tickets to one of their tours have individual licenses they display from the city's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.
"There are bad apples that are in this business," he said. "We follow the rules to the best of our ability."
City Councilman Christopher Marte says whenever an individual receives a violation, they get a fine.
"Those fines are $50, sometimes the cost of doing business," he said.
The new legislation introduced in the City Council, if passed, would increase fines to $1,000 or more, and increase the company's accountability.
"After three violations, that corporation could lose its license," Marte said.
The goal is less aggression and more transparency so people can actually enjoy the sights of the city.
More information on how tourists can protect themselves can be found on the city's website.
