Christmas Tree Theft? NYC Vendor Prepares for Holiday Season

David Neville has been setting up Christmas Tree stands for decades in Manhattan. On Tuesday, he and his crew were unloading 700 trees at his high-traffic spot, Carmine St. and 6th Ave. in Greenwich Village.

The worst part of the job? Thieves who steal from his stands on a regular basis, “The trees walk away.”

“New York City is a concrete jungle, so…when you bring the forest to the city, people want it.

Neville says he has to have a salesperson working 24 hours a day to try and prevent theft. One night last year, he said, several men in a pickup truck stole 30 trees after an employee fell asleep. Other thieves will make off with a tree or two while an accomplice distracts the salesperson.

His favorite part of the job is reuniting with his crew each November, and his crew reuniting with regular customers who have been buying trees from them for years.