San Diego is joining other cities across the country by designating parking spots outside police stations for buyers and sellers to complete online transactions in safety. 

Officials said the police station in Rancho Peñasquitos is the first of its kind in the county to offer transaction areas.

​Read more here.

Online exchange transactions are welcome at the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office’s substation in Rochester Hills, Mich., on Barclay Circle, off of Auburn Road.

The substation recently opened an e-commerce safety zone with 24-hour video surveillance.  Two well-lighted, green-striped parking spots are located near the front door of the substation, right next to the handicapped spots. A sign states that the area is an e-commerce designated zone, and it lists emergency and nonemergency police phone numbers.

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In Fargo, N.D., an app that's similar to craigslist is drawing some negative attention after it played a role multiple robberies. ‘LetGo’ is an app advertised as an easy way to buy and sell used stuff.
 
However, Saint Paul Police are looking for an 18-year-old man they believe used the app to rob two women at gunpoint. A similar situation happened in Virginia Beach. This time, a man is accused of robbing three women, and punching one of them.
 
If you plan to buy or sell something with a person you met online, and want play it safe,  meet at the Fargo police station on 25th and 13th, which has an internet purchase exchange location monitored by cameras.

​Read more here.

As a pilot project, Chicago police have established hours for people to use the lobby and parking lot of the Town Hall District police station on the North Side for the safe exchange of items they buy or sell through Craigslist and other online sites.

All of the city's police stations have been available for such exchanges, but the department wanted to set up some guidelines and publicize the program in an area that sees a higher volume of robberies related to Craigslist and similar sites.

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​As a response to the variety of “scams” that occur, the sheriff’s office Rochester Hills substation is now providing a safe E-Commerce zone in their parking lot for individuals who want to complete  online purchases or sales more safely. 

The E-Commerce zone is well lit with clearly marked signage and is also equipped with a high definition camera which records all activity within the zone.

Read more here.

In the wake of an online transaction that ended in a shooting that left two men wounded,  Richland County (S.C.) Sheriff Leon Lott is reminding citizens that the Sheriff's Department offers Internet Exchange Safety Zones for citizens to utilize as public exchange locations for those who buy, sell or exchange items via social media.

The Safe Zones are also for child drop off/pick up for those who are co-parenting.

The Sheriff’s Department has set up “Internet Exchange Safety Zone” signs at five of its eight regions throughout Richland County.

Read more here.

In Lyndhurst, N.J., a "safe-trade zone" that allows residents to exchange products purchased through sites like Craigslist has been set up outside the police department.
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Police Chief Jim O'Connor said police are seeing an increase in e-commerce transactions that end in violence, sexual assault or robbery. 

Two designated parking spots behind Lyndhurst Police Headquarters are monitored with video surveillance and are well lit. O'Connor said residents can use the police department lobby as well to make the exchange. O'Connor and Public Safety Commissioner John Montillo set up the zone hoping to limit the chances of residents being victims of crime.

Bloomingdale, Closter, Allendale and Butler also have set up safe zones.

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The Decatur (Ill.) Police Department recommends that people buying or selling online meet at the Police Department in their 'Safe Zone.'

Sgt. Jon Quehl of the Decatur Police Department said police established the Safe Zone "to give citizens an area, or an opportunity to go to an area, that would be safe to conduct business over Facebook or Craigslist."

​Read more here.