“The Dispatch has run an article and a poll on the garage sale signs, but what about the shopping carts? I see people pushing obviously stolen carts and police driving by them. Why? I end up having to toss them in the truck and return them since there’s nothing that spruces up the neighborhood like a shopping cart in the bushes. Why isn’t there any enforcement?”
Red Phone: Dear Pushed Around, Red Phone commends your efforts to pick up the carts and make the area look better. Despite the measures taken by shopping centers to add electronic security devices to prevent theft, carts still seem to find their way out into the streets.
Since both the California Business & Professions Code and the Gilroy Municipal Code prohibit the theft of shopping carts, people could be cited for having stolen property, said Gilroy Police Sgt. Chad Gallacinao. A person could be cited for petty theft and sentenced to up to six months in jail and receive fines ranging from $50-$1,000, according to the California Penal Code (Section 490).
When city staff find carts, they impound them and contact the owners from the information that is required to be placed on carts. Owners have three days to claim the cart at no cost. After that the city can charge up to $50 a cart to cover the cost of storage and processing, according to the municipal code.
To see the complete regulations, visit this Red Phone at GilroyDispatch.com.
