Shopping cart recovery leads to drop in crime

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Police are combating crime by picking up shopping carts. The Fresno Police Department is now focusing on getting homeless help and recovering tens of thousands of dollars in stolen carts.

A city-wide task force has already recovered more than 2,100 shopping carts. But their job is much more than picking these up.

Police officers wrapped up a homeless person's belongings, illegally stored in stolen shopping carts Tuesday afternoon in Southeast Fresno. The items will be stored for at least 90 days.

Owners, like Aaron Aylward, who has been on the streets for four years, face citations. "I don't get no public aid," he said. "I don't even get food stamps. I just recycle."

Police say they find homeless people with the shopping carts in city parks and near recycle yards. Since officers began confiscating the carts 10 months ago they say theft has dropped off.

"The ability to steal things, copper wire specifically, metal thefts, the shopping carts give them an easy way to transport things once they're stolen to recycling centers," said Fresno Police Officer Joshua Knapp.

Officers take the carts and eventually have them returned to the store they were taken from. Some cart users are just given bags for their belongings and sent off.

Others lose the cart, but also get help from social workers called in by the officers. "They can get him connected with medical care, they can connect him with general relief, social security, get him on the list for housing, that way we can get him started down a path to better his life," Officer Knapp said.

The homeless are finding new, legal, ways of moving their belongings around by using strollers and hand-built carts. The task force also works to keep encampments from setting up anywhere in the city.

Police say you can report if you see an encampment setting up anywhere around you by calling 621-7788.