NYPD Cracks Down on 31 Canal Street Knockoff Shops

For now, your walk down Canal Street will be congested by a few less Prado bags: The NYPD raided and closed a stretch of 31 stores on the south side of Canal, starting at Church Street and going east. All merchandise suspected of being counterfeit was removed from the stores, including handbags and perfume, leaving the tiny venues looking even more ransacked than usual (see photo). The stores will not be allowed to reopen, naturally, perhaps prompting even more would-be buyers to opt for purchasing the real thing. We've put in a call to the Mayor's office for comment, but a police officer with whom we chatted told me it was "time to take back the streets of New York." Oh, we do love a cop who can use tough violent-crime talk when discussing back-alley pleather.