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Las Crucens can return shopping carts ahead of new ordinance

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Las Crucens can return shopping carts ahead of new ordinance

The Las Cruces Police Department will begin enforcement of the shopping cart ordinance later this month.

In preparation, LCPD announced two shopping cart collection dates, where anyone who is in possession of a shopping cart can relinquish it without consequences, according to a news release.

LCPD is hosting cart collection dates on Oct. 10 and Oct. 15. Police will begin enforcing the ordinance on Oct. 16.

Officers will accept the shopping carts and not take enforcement action, according to a news release. Police will then contact the businesses that own the returned carts so they can be retrieved.

More: Las Cruces passes solicitation, shopping cart ordinances in close vote

The two collection locations are:

  • Community of Hope, 999 W. Amador Ave.
  • Parking Lot, 2200 block of east Lohman Avenue near south Walnut Street.

Anyone with a shopping cart can return them from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m., at either location.

Shopping cart ordinance enforcement begins Oct. 16

Las Cruces City Council passed the ordinance, proposed by LCPD Chief Jeremy Story, by a 4 to 3 vote in August.

The ordinance  makes it illegal for people to remove a shopping cart from a business. According to Story, people will be issued a citation. They will not be arrested unless they have an active warrant for their arrest. In lieu of jail time, “the sentencing judge may order that the person perform community service, which by definition includes, but is not limited to, counseling and/or treatment for substance use disorders and/or mental health treatment.”

The ordinance also requires businesses that use shopping carts to place a sign/placard to carts and submit a shopping cart plan approved by community development that is to be renewed every two years. Businesses would have three business days to retrieve shopping carts if notified by the city.

When the ordinance passed, LCPD delayed enforcement in order to allow for an education period.

LCPD hosted a town hall for businesses and Community of HOpe outreach workers have helped several individuals replace their carts with luggage or rolling carts that were purchased with donated funds.

The funds were donated after two employees of a Las Cruces Albertsons store, were seen arriving in a white truck on the 1600 block of South Valley Drive. Minutes after arriving, the men load a shopping cart into the truck and drive away. The Mesilla Valley Community of Hope posted a photo  of an unhoused woman, whose belongings were on the pavement.

Since the ordinance was passed, and again following the incident, police has reiterated that retailers are not required to retrieve shopping carts directly from individuals who may have them, nor should they attempt it. 

Jason Groves can be reached at 575-541-5459 or jgroves@lcsun-news.com. Follow him on X @jpgroves.

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