Shopping cart theft across the US is becoming a big problem for many stores, such as Walmart and Target, so they’re starting to issue fines.
Apparently, around two million carts are stolen in the US every year, equating to hundreds of millions of dollars in replacement costs. Where they’re all going is anyone’s guess. There must be piles of them all over the country at this point.
So, to try to prevent the incredible amounts of theft, many places that are the main targets are starting to issue fines. Several states have stepped in to protect huge companies such as Walmart by slapping any and all trolley stealers with a fine of up to $2,500.
Depending on where you are in the country will determine how much you need to pay for a stolen trolley.
National Trolley Theft Crackdown
The fines for trolley theft from stores like Walmart or Target range from civil lawsuits, all the way to criminal charges, and can be from anywhere between a hundred-dollar fine to jail time and thousands.
One of the harshest places is Illinois. Here, thieves could face a fine of up to $2,500 and up to one year in jail. However, if the crime occurs in Chicago, the fine will only be $200. So, pick your Walmart carefully. The fine will be determined based on past criminal records and the price of the trolley.
In most states, the theft of a shopping trolley is counted as theft and will be considered a misdemeanor. This means that the cost of the trolley in question will be key in issuing the fine. In somewhere like New York, this can often only end up being a fine of $100.
Many places will also issue jail time along with the fine for stealing from somewhere like Walmart. Again, it is all dependent on past crimes and the value of the trolley.
What I wanted to know is what people are doing with millions of trolleys every year. Are they scrapping them for their value in raw materials? Are people turning them into little houses? I am baffled.