Mayor Eric Enriquez City of Las Cruces | City of Las Cruces
The new City ordinance, commonly called the Shopping Cart Ordinance, will go into effect Friday, Aug. 16, but Las Cruces police will delay enforcement for 60 days to allow retail establishments time to submit a plan and application.
LCPD also wants to allow time for all parties to become educated on the new regulations and aware of the requirements.
Las Cruces police intend to begin enforcement of the ordinance on Oct. 16, 2024.
The ordinance, approved by Las Cruces City Council on Aug. 5, 2024, relates to shopping cart containment and retrieval. It aims to eliminate the public nuisance and potential hazards created when shopping carts are removed from retail establishments.
The ordinance will require retail establishments to submit a shopping cart plan, affix an identifying sign to their shopping carts, and retrieve carts in a timely manner when they are located. The ordinance maintains previous regulations that make it a violation to remove shopping carts from retail premises or possess them off-site, abandon or alter them.
The ordinance does not require retail establishments to retrieve shopping carts directly from individuals who may have them nor should retailers attempt to do so.
Violation of the shopping cart ordinance could result in a petty misdemeanor under Las Cruces Municipal Code, Section 1-10. Instead of jail time or fines, the ordinance allows judges to order community service including counseling or treatment for substance use disorders or mental health treatment.
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