Las Cruces hands out wagons to homeless as shopping cart ban nears

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14) — Las Cruces is preparing its homeless population for a shopping cart ban that goes into effect Oct. 16.

Many people rely on shopping carts to hold their belongings, but the ordinance — passed in September — bans the use of the carts outside of businesses. Authorities gave wagons and backpacks today to those who turned in their cart.

“it’s better than nothing,” said Rebecca Magealeno, a woman handing in her cart. “Nobody likes it.”

Magealeno said she’s been homeless for months and has relied on her cart for much of that time. She said she took the cart from a Walmart.

I’m upset, but we have to do it,” she said. “Because we don’t want no citations. We don’t want no jail sentence. No, we just, we have to follow the rules.

According to a press release sent after the event, LCPD collected 60 carts at two different locations in town.

LCPD officer Aaron Lazarin said the ordinance began to work before it’s even gone into effect.

RELATED:Las Cruces Shopping cart and solicitation ordinances pass after hours of debate

“We started to see multiple shopping carts essentially become abandoned,” he said.

The LCPD handed out the wagons and backpacks today free of charge. Many complained the wagons were much smaller than the carts, with some using the carts for decades.

“Since 1992,” Carlos Rodriguez said. “What really attacks me most, in my mind, and emotionally, even spiritually, what about those who are really in need right now? What about us?”

Police installed a shipping container with 80 supply buckets for those who wish to store property for up to 90 days until they feel settled.

RELATED:Las Cruces PD swaps shopping carts for backpacks or wagons before ordinance enforcement

“If we come across somebody who has a large amount of property, that they’re not going to be able to transfer over into a wagon and a backpack immediately, but we obviously still need to take possession of that shopping cart, we’ll make arrangements to acquire the rest of their property,” Lazarin said.

Lazarin said no one’s yet taken the offer to store with the Department, but the option will remain.

“So we foresee it going as long as we’re still enforcing the shopping cart ordinance. If we still see people out in the public in possession of shopping carts and we need to make those arrangements for them, then that’s how long we’ll continue to implement this.”

The LCPD said it worked with Code Enforcement to arrange today’s event.

RELATED:Las Cruces Police offer free lockers for unhoused before new shopping cart ordinance

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