Whitestone town hall addresses crackdown on illegal cannabis shops

The We Love Whitestone Civic Association held a town hall meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 19th, at 7 p.m. at Grace Church, 14-15 Clintonville St. in Whitestone.

The meeting featured guest speaker Assistant Commissioner and First Deputy Sheriff Warren J. Glover, who spoke to community members about “Operation Padlock to Protect,” which allows the sheriff’s office to shut down businesses in the neighborhood that are selling cannabis illegally.

“It was a unified effort to target those selling these products, and I truly appreciate that collaboration,” said Deputy Sheriff Glover. “Having worked in narcotics years ago, I know firsthand the impact of these substances. Walking past these shops, knowing they’re being held accountable, reinforces the importance of our efforts to address this issue and create positive change.”

Operation Padlock to Protect is an initiative first implemented by Mayor Adams in 2024 that allows local law enforcement throughout NYC to shut down unlicensed smoke and cannabis shops. Through this operation, law enforcement can inspect these shops and shut down any shop that doesn’t have a license to sell cannabis or that was caught selling it illegally.

Mayor Adams in October 2024 with Sheriff Anthony Miranda. Photo credit: NYPD

Deputy Sheriff Glover let community members know they can also help the operation by calling 311 or emailing the Sheriff’s office if they learn about any cannabis shops in their community that they believe are operating without a license or know of any other businesses in the area selling cannabis illegally for the Sheriff’s office to look into.

According to Deputy Sheriff Glover, the operation has led to the shutdown of at least 275 shops in Queens. Citywide, over 1,000 shops have been shut down, and over $90 million in violations have been committed throughout the five boroughs.

“You can report on buildings and shops that you become aware of, and if you call in 311, we get the complaint directly, and as soon as possible, we initiate and send out a team to go out and handle that location,” said Deputy Sheriff Glover. “There’s a lot of them out there, but we’re very proud to say we closed down a whole bunch.”

Residents can call 311 or send an email to smokeshopcomplaints@sheriff.nyc.gov if they are concerned about whether or not a smoke or cannabis shop near them is operating illegally or have a tip about any business selling illegally and the sheriff’s office will look into it.