The Las Cruces Police Department will begin enforcing the shopping cart ordinance later this month.
In preparation, LCPD will announce two shopping cart collection dates, and anyone with a shopping cart can surrender it without repercussions, according to a news release.
LCPD is hosting cart collection days on October 10th and October 15th. Police will begin enforcing the ordinance from October 16th.
Officers will accept shopping carts but will not take any enforcement action, according to a news release. Police will then contact the business that owns the returned cart so they can retrieve it.
More information: Las Cruces narrowly passes solicitation and shopping cart ordinance
There are two collection locations:
Community of Hope, 999 W. Amador Ave. parking lot, 2200 block of East Roman Avenue near South Walnut Street.
Those with shopping carts can return them at either location from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Shopping Cart Ordinance goes into effect October 16th
The Las Cruces City Council passed an ordinance proposed by LCPD Chief Jeremy Storey in a 4-3 vote in August.
The ordinance makes it illegal for people to remove shopping carts from stores. Story said people will be issued citations. You cannot be arrested unless there is a valid arrest warrant. In lieu of a prison sentence, “the sentencing judge may order the person to perform community service, which by definition includes, but is not limited to, substance use disorder counseling and treatment, and/or mental health treatment.” I can.”
The ordinance also requires businesses using shopping carts to attach signs and placards to their carts, and to submit a shopping cart plan approved by town planning (updated every two years). Once notified by the city, businesses will have three business days to collect shopping carts.
When the ordinance was passed, LCPD delayed enforcement to allow for an educational period.
LCPD hosted a town hall for businesses, and Community of HOpe outreach workers helped some replace carts with baggage and rolling carts purchased with donations.
The funds were donated after two Las Cruces Albertsons store employees were seen arriving in a white truck in the 1600 block of South Valley Drive. A few minutes after arriving, the men loaded the shopping carts into a truck and drove off. Mesilla Valley Community of Hope posted a photo of a homeless woman whose belongings were lying on the sidewalk.
Since the ordinance was passed, and even after the incident, police have stated that retailers are not required to, and should not attempt to, collect shopping carts directly from individuals who may be in possession of them. I’ve repeated it.
Contact Jason Groves at 575-541-5459 or jgroves@lcsun-news.com. X Follow him at @jpggroves.
