This month, police are preparing to enforce an ordinance in Las Cruces that primarily prohibits unsheltered people from using shopping carts to move or store belongings.
Officials have set up two cart collection days where people can turn in their shopping carts to local law enforcement.
The ordinance went into effect Aug. 16, but the Las Cruces Police Department plans to allow people to exchange their carts for other means of transporting their belongings and businesses to reduce the number of carts they remove from homes. announced that it would be postponed for 60 days. properties.
Police officers will begin issuing citations on October 16th.
The police station will be located at Community of Hope and a parking lot near East Roman Avenue and South Walnut Street on Oct. 10 and Oct. 15. The city says no legal action will be taken against people in these planned actions. -It was a long time ago.
Police are expected to contact businesses to ask them to return the carts after the event.
The new ordinance is one of two passed by the Las Cruces City Council over the summer that directly impacts unhoused residents. The second ordinance prohibits solicitation on private property and some forms of panhandling in medians.
Since the ordinance was passed, Mesilla Valley Community of Hope employees and volunteers have been working to replace people’s shopping carts with suitcases and trolleys. These alternatives are not durable and break down frequently, said Nicole Martinez, executive director of Community of Hope.
If a person is found to be in possession of a shopping cart outside of a store, they could be charged with a misdemeanor. If convicted, the person could be sentenced to six months in prison. The judge may also choose to sentence the person to community service, substance abuse counseling, or mental health treatment. Businesses that do not follow the cart plan or allow carts to be removed from their premises may be subject to fines of up to $500.