Homeless community fears impact of new Las Cruces shopping cart ordinance

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — A new law in Las Cruces commonly referred to as the shopping cart ordinance is set to go into effect on August 16.

A nonprofit organization that helps those facing homelessness explained some of the people they help are already being targeted and harassed as a result of the ordinance.

“At the core of it, we’re talking about theft so what crimes are excused because of your housing status. The reality is theft is theft,” said Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story.

“There are two sides. It’s good and not good. The city is trying to protect the businesses but we also need to be able to move,” shared a man going by only Ramon who lives at Camp Hope, which provides temporary shelter in the form of tents in Las Cruces.

RELATED:Las Cruces delays enforcement of new shopping cart ordinance until October

Las Cruces Police are now delaying enforcement for 60 days to give businesses enough time to prepare for the new ordinance requiring businesses to:

• Submit a shopping cart plan to the city.
• Make the carts easy to identify with a sign.
• Require businesses to collect carts in a timely manner.

“We’re not criminalizing homelessness. I recognize that there’s challenges associated with trying to enforce this and we’re going to be thoughtful in how we enforce it,” said Story.

People caught violating this law could face jail time or a fine.

If they’re unable to pay, the ordinance allows judges to order community service including counseling, treatment for substance use, or mental health treatment.

“We just hope that we don’t start to see people taking justice or vigilante mindset things into their own hands,” said Nicole Martinez, the Executive Director of Mesilla Valley Community of Hope.

This is a fear for some of those living at Camp Hope.

“That’s like taking, going into somebody’s house, taking everything out and throwing it outside, and say, ‘Okay, now I’m taking the house,’ same thing because that is their house,” said Diana Tournelle, a woman facing homelessness.

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