Boquet of flowers. Photo: wiki commons.

As Shavuot approaches – the Jewish holiday that emphasizes flowers in places of worship and in homes – the New York Police Department has made an extra effort this year to protect local flower business in Brooklyn from being undercut by illegal sales.

“We’re going to be enforcing illegal vendors and making sure the legal vendors comply with their licenses,” NYPD Deputy Inspector Michael Deddo, of the 66th Precinct, told a number of community leaders and florists in the Borough Park area of Brooklyn.  “We don’t want to see our shops have to shut their doors because somebody’s not paying taxes.”

The flower vendors that do not hold a license to sell, are costing neighborhood flower business between $5,000-$10,000 a week, according to numbers cited in the New York Post.

The NYPD has issued at least 10 summonses to illegal vendors within the last week and in certain cases, has confiscated the flowers as well.