NYPD fights back against illegal vendors — but pro-crime pols must get out of the way

Good for New York’s Finest: Following weeks of public outcry and one day after an exposé by The Post , the cops swooped in — two days in a row — on an illegal vendor’s paradise in Jackson Heights, Queens.

Their work is by no means done , but it’s a darn good start.

“This will be a continuing process,” said Chief of Patrol John Chell. “It’s gonna take a while, but we owe it to the residents of Queens.”

Indeed they do.

These law-breaking “vendors” aren’t hardworking, taxpaying small businessmen and -women trying to improve their economic lot in life as they struggle around the edges of New York’s laggard economy.

NYC Council’s push to bring back Brooklyn Bridge vendors would undo a quality-of-life win

No, they’re fences for the massive and ongoing retail-theft rings that plague every borough.

One brazen thief was selling a full complement of power tools from Home Depot with the tags still attached .

And that’s to say nothing of the sex workers who strut their stuff in full daylight along Roosevelt Avenue — many of them likely trafficked here via President Biden’s open borders and drawn by the absurd policies beloved by New York City’s own lefty electeds.

Make no mistake, this raid was a victory for public safety. But thanks to pro-crime lefties in Albany and Gotham , it’s only going to be a temporary one — as witness the fact that the cops had to come on two successive days.

NYC shutters beloved newsstand vendor, slaps him with $92K in fines: ‘They’re killing me’

“They’ll be back. No question,” said one frustrated resident.

He’s right.

As long as crooks are allowed to steal from stores without any real consequences, and vendors can set up shops on sidewalk blankets wherever they please, this will continue.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR MORNING REPORT NEWSLETTER

Empire State Democrats have signaled they love this disorder .

Look at recent remarks from Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie pushing the absurd assertion that harsher punishment doesn’t deter crime (news flash: it does) about Gov. Hochul’s push to hike punishments for theft and assaults against retail workers.

Word out of Albany is that the budget deal being cemented this week might include some of what she sought — and even Heastie appears to have now publicly caved on the issue, suggesting that maybe, just maybe, Democrats are worried about public blowback.

The market, of course, isn’t surprising given the overall anything-goes climate that sees thugs let loose as soon as they’re caught for many other crimes, thanks to Heastie and fellow Dems.

As one law enforcement source put it, “Roosevelt Avenue is the microcosm — a perfect storm composed of lunatic legislation that prevents enforcement of laws and the subsequent punitive results.”

It’s proof, yet again, of how utterly disconnected “progressives” are from the public they allegedly serve — and that their preferred policies are driving New York downward and backward, not onward and upward.

For top headlines, breaking news and more, visit nypost.com.