Coalition of Conservatives in Action (CCIA)

HELP Las Cruces Pass Two CRIME ORDINANCES by Aug 5

Dear Las Crucens,

We need your help! The two crime-related ordinances proposed by Chief Story will be voted on by City Council on August 5.

Will you please email, call, and/or attend the Monday August 5 City Council meeting to make a public comment? See below for more information and potential talking points.

The Situation

TWO PROPOSED ORDINANCES The Las Cruces police department has developed two new ordinances to help with the crime situation. Snapshots of the ordinances are at the bottom of this email, or you can download and read the proposed ordinances with the links below.

Shopping cart containment and retrieval ordinance (DOWNLOAD Ordinance 3079): Requires businesses to be proactive in trying to prevent theft of their shopping carts Makes it unlawful to take shopping carts, possess shopping carts, and abandon shopping carts Imposes penalties such as petty misdemeanor charges and fines
Solicitation ordinance (DOWNLOAD Ordinance 3078): Makes it illegal to aggressively panhandle Makes it illegal to solicit money on roadways with speed limits of 30mph or greater Makes it illegal to stand or loiter on highways or their exits Makes it illegal to stand or loiter on medians less than 4-feet across on a roads with speed limits of 30mph or greater

CITY COUNCIL VOTE ON ORDINANCES

These two ordinances will be voted on at the City Council meeting on Monday August 5. The Mayor is expected to allow the public to make comments at the meeting. Typically, 3 minutes are allowed for public comments, however be prepared to trim your comment down to 1 or 2 minutes if there are many people who will be speaking.

Comments and emails will be most effective if they relate to personal experiences with issues related to shopping carts or soliciting (panhandling) specifically.

NOTES: The meeting agenda includes many other items. If you are going to speak about the ordinances at the meeting, be prepared to potentially stay at the meeting for a long time.

There is usually a public comment period near the beginning of the meeting. The Mayor will NOT allow people to speak about agenda items at that time, but would instead ask you to wait until your agenda item is reached.

TWO WAYS TO TAKE ACTION

Potential talking points are provided below. Make sure to send individual emails instead of one group email if you want a response. Please be respectful in your communications for the maximum positive impact.

PLEASE EMAIL/CALL CITY COUNCIL

All email addresses: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

PLEASE ATTEND THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING- WEAR YOUR CCIA COLORS

We need as many people as possible to attend. Even if you are not going to speak, please attend to show support for these ordinances.

  WHAT: City Council Meeting

  WHEN: Monday August 5th at 1pm

  WHERE: City Hall, 700 N Main St, Las Cruces 88001

POTENTIAL TALKING POINTS

Here are some potential talking points about this issue. Please do NOT copy-paste these verbatim. Your communications will be most effective if you add in your own words as well. Please be respectful to make the most positive impact.

  • Please support the shopping cart ordinance and solicitation ordinance.
  • Shopping carts are being stolen and there need to be consequences.
  • Please make it easier for businesses and families to be safe by approving the solicitation ordinance.
  • NM has one of the highest rates of pedestrian fatalities. Please support the solicitation ordinance to decrease pedestrian accidents in Las Cruces.
  • The shopping cart ordinance does NOT criminalize homelessness. It is already illegal to steal shopping carts and to be in possession of stolen property. The new ordinance will make it possible for the judge to direct the offender into treatment as a form of community service.
  • [If you have any personal experiences related to shopping carts or panhandling, please share those as well.]

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