The Fresno City Council passed new laws Thursday to crack down on stolen shopping carts.
Fresno police can now stop people who are pushing shopping carts outside their designated lots. Police will take away these carts and issue a fine. Also, retailers must come up with a plan to retrieve shopping carts, or also be fined.
Council President Steve Brandau says these carts pushed around town often carry stolen items. He says the new ordinance is an effort to reduce related crime.
"People go through our garbages, they invade our neighborhoods, and because of that, it's become a public safety issue," Brandau says.
Sgt. Robery Dewey with the Fresno Police Department says since the Homeless Task force began dismantling the downtown homeless encampments, many of the shopping carts pushed around by homeless people have scattered through the city. He says this has created problems on a daily basis.
"They fill these things to the brim, they're almost impossible for them to move around, so for us to get people off of private property or to obey the law is near impossible," Dewey says.
Councilmember Clint Olivier says these carts often end up being hauled to recycling centers, creating additional issues in neighborhoods.
"But what they've actually turned into is a magnet for homeless and crime," Olivier says.
The ordinance will take effect in about 30 days, Brandau says.