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ORDINANCE NO. 17, 455
306
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5 AN ORDINANCE TO MAKE IT UNLAWFUL TO TAKE
6 GROCERY CARTS FROM THE STORES WHICH OFFER
7 THEM AS A CONVENIENCE; DECLARING AN
8 EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
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10 WHEREAS, the City has recently experienced the near loss of supermarkets from certain
I I central city neighborhoods; and
12 WHEREAS, the loss of these stores would have had a serious detrimental effect upon the
13 neighborhood because of the loss ofjobs, but more importantly, because of the loss of a major local
14 resource for food and supplies which would have, among other things, create severe hardships for
15 those residents that are not able to travel great distances to the next closest store; and
16 WHEREAS, during discussions to save these central city grocery stores it was learned that
17 the loss of shopping carts, at a cost of up to one hundred and fifty dollars ($150.00) per cart, was a
18 major problem that did not get satisfactory results through state criminal prosecutions, but could if
19 made an ordinance violation that could be more easily prosecuted in municipal court; and
20 WHEREAS, the City recognizes the need to stop the theft of these expensive carts and the
21 need to maintain the presence of these stores in these neighborhoods.
22 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
23 THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS:
24 SECTION 1. It shall be unlawful for any person to take or exercise control of a grocery
25 shopping cart away from the store location providing the cart without the express permission of the
26 store manager or owner. For purposes of this section, a "grocery shopping cart," is any vehicle
27 provided by the management or owner of a store to be used by a customer to temporarily hold items
28 to be purchased while the customer shops the store, or while the person takes the just purchased
29 items from the store to a waiting vehicle in a parking lot immediately adjacent to the store.
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SECTION 2. Any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be punished as
provided in section 1 -9 of the Little Rock Code of Ordinances.
SECTION 3. Emergency. The theft of grocery carts from local supermarkets is a major
problem that not only impacts the grocery store, but is also a factor that can cause the store to
relocate to another neighborhood leaving a shell and creating a negative impact for the community.
The ability to enforce actions against persons that steal these carts is essential to the public health,
safety and welfare since the continued unprosecuted theft of these carts can literally lead to business
decisions that move stores and devastate communities. An emergency is therefore declared to exist
and this ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after the date of its adoption.
PASSED: April 1, 1997
ATTEST:
L4,:, 14d, c,o a-
ROBBIE HANCOCK
CITY CLERK
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
THOMAS M. CARPENTE
CITY ATTORNEY
APPRO����gV��E��D:
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Jll1 AILEY
MANOR