It's common practice for certain disreputable bicycle shops to purchase stolen bikes from thieves and then resell them. But it's rare that the police take action, which makes the recent crackdown on the Busy Bee Bike Shop on East Sixth Street so special. Streetsblog reports that the NYPD's Civil Enforcement Unit has shut down the shop pending "an ongoing investigation." The crusty, punky, DIY-ish bike shop was a good source for air and cheap U-locks, but it always did seem a little sketchy. (As one Yelper puts it, "If you want to pay too much for a bike of sketchy quality sold to you by a guy that probably lied to you about the bike, then this is the place!") Now two employees have been arrested.
One Busy Bee employee was arrested last Friday after purchasing stolen property from an undercover officer, and another was collared late last month for criminal possession of stolen property. Lt. Patrick Ferguson of the Ninth Precinct tells Streetsblog the owners will appear in civil court on Wednesday. At press time, MC Busy Bee Starski could not be reached for comment.
