8 UNLICENSED STREET VENDORS HELD IN SWEEP.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

PALMDALE - After than six months of advising street peddlers that they must have a permit to operate, deputies conducted a sweep and arrested eight unlicensed vendors, officials said Tuesday.

The vendors all told deputies they had been brought up to the Antelope Valley, San Fernando or Van Nuys.

``We know these guys aren't the ones making money,'' said Sgt. Kyle Bistline of the Palmdale Partners Against Crime team. ``The guys bringing them up here are. Those are the ones we want to catch.''

The suspects were peddling items such as rugs, pictures, oranges and roses on street corners and door to door at local businesses.

Deputies were responding to complaints from city officials and Palmdale Chamber of Commerce members. For nearly six months they warned unlicensed vendors about the ramifications of their actions which could include fines or community service.

``Aside from not having the required vendor's permit, there's also a health risk with those vendors selling edible products,'' Bistline said. ``We saw snow-cone vendors using contaminated ice, people selling corn soaking in murky brown water. It was bad.''

Officials also said the unlicensed vendors have a financial effect on the local economy by selling poor-quality merchandise at cheaper prices or trying to sell to customers as they enter a business or store.

``Our businesses are going through the proper channels and getting all their licenses in order and the illegal street vendors undermine that,'' Bistline said.