Honolulu Considers Fining, Jailing Homeless Over Shopping Carts
- Honolulu is considering Bill 53, which would make it illegal to use a shopping cart outside a store’s premises and could carry fines of up to $2,000 or jail terms of up to 30 days.
- The measure would also allow shopping carts to be confiscated.
- Council Chair Tommy Waters says the proposal is aimed at reducing cart theft and abandonment in public spaces.
- Supporters, including retailers, police and some residents, say abandoned carts block sidewalks, bus stops, parks and waterways and create safety and cleanup costs.
- Critics say the bill would disproportionately affect unsheltered people who rely on shopping carts to move and store their belongings, and that it does not address the causes of homelessness.
Honolulu is weighing Bill 53, a proposal that would make it illegal to use a shopping cart outside the premises of a store. Under the measure, people found with carts in public could face fines of up to $2,000 or as much as 30 days in jail, and the carts could be seized.
Council Chair Tommy Waters, who introduced the bill, says the city needs stronger tools to deal with cart theft and abandonment. Supporters, including retailers and police officials, say abandoned carts can clog sidewalks, bus stops, parks and waterways, creating safety and cleanup problems.
Opponents argue the proposal would fall hardest on homeless residents, many of whom use shopping carts to carry belongings and have few alternatives for storage or transport. They say the bill would punish poverty rather than address the conditions that lead to homelessness.
The measure received a first reading on Aug. 12. Several council members supported it, while others voted with reservations.
檀香山考虑对使用购物车的无家可归者罚款和判监
檀香山正在审议第53号法案，该提案拟将商店范围外使用购物车定为违法。按照草案，相关人员可能面临最高2000美元罚款或最长30天监禁，购物车也可能被没收。
提出法案的市议会主席托米·沃特斯表示，市政府需要更有力的手段来处理购物车被盗和被遗弃的问题。支持者包括零售商和警方官员，他们认为遗弃的购物车会堵塞人行道、公交站、公园和水道，带来安全与清理方面的麻烦。
反对者则认为，这项提案会对无家可归者造成更大冲击。许多无家可归居民依靠购物车搬运随身物品，而他们往往缺少其他存放或运输方式。批评者称，这项法案是在惩罚贫困，而不是解决导致无家可归的根本原因。
该法案已于8月12日完成一读。一些市议员表示支持，另一些则在保留意见下投票通过。