By Michelle Merlin of The Morning Call

Anyone hoping to carry out a Craiglist or other online transaction with a stranger can now meet outside the Allentown police station on Hamilton and 10th streets.

Allentown officials unveiled the safe exchange site Thursday morning. Two 15-minute parking spaces have been designated for transactions and offer what authorities said is a safer option than meeting in a vacant parking lot or a public park after dark.

"It gives folks an extra layer of security," said Mayor Ed Pawlowski. "A place they can have a safe place to do their sales and do their transactions without being worried that wherever they're doing that transaction something may occur."
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There are cameras all around the street and police staff the station 24/7, offering a deterrent for potential criminals.

​Read more here.

​SHARON K. MERKEL / SPECIAL TO THE MORNING CALL
Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski and police Chief Keith Morris unveiled the city's first Safe Sale Zone for people who buy items off online sellers like Craigslist at a news conference on Wednesday at the Allentown Police Patrol Station in Allentown.

By Michael Gannon, Editor

The NYPD’s 105th Precinct on Monday extended an offer to residents who might not be quite sure about conducting transactions with strangers they have contacted on Craigslist.

Speaking before a meeting of Community Board 13, Inspector Jeffrey Schiff said those seeking a neutral place to meet someone might want to consider 92-08 222 Street in Queens Village.
The address is that of Schiff’s station house.

“We had seven grand larcenies last week,” Schiff said. “Five of them were Craigslist.”

Read more here.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON
Uncertain about that Craigslist contact you’re going to meet? Inspector Jeffrey Schiff says meet him any time you like in front of the NYPD’s 105th Precinct.

The parking lot of police headquarters on Rockdale Avenue has been designated as an Internet Purchase Safe Exchange Zone, a safe place for completing online transactions, police said.
The parking lot is monitored with security cameras 24 hours a day. No appointment or notification is needed to use the parking lot for transactions. For more information about the Internet Purchase Safe Exchange Zone, contact Lt. Amos Melo, public information officer of the NBPD, at 508-991-6300, ext. 79427.

​To read the full news story click here.

The Darien Police Department is offering up its parking lot as a safe place to exchange goods bought and sold on Craigslist, Facebook, eBay and other online sites. Starting today, citizens who are purchasing or selling something to a stranger online can meet up in the police department parking lot to conduct their business.

They have added a  dedicated area in their public parking lot at 25 Hecker Ave Darien, CT for on‐line buyers and sellers to meet and make the exchanges. The designated safe “Internet Purchase Exchange Location” is in the parking lot on the south side of the building and is marked with a newly installed sign. This area is monitored 24 hours a day by video surveillance and is recorded. 

The Rockland Police Department decided to establish two safe exchange zones as well. One is designated right in their own parking lot at 1 Police Plaza and the other is in J.C. Penney’s parking lot in the Rockland Plaza.

If you have any questions about these safe exchange zones, contact the Rockland Police Department at call: 207-593-9132. Read the full story, including safety tips, here.

A growing number of police departments in Connecticut are using their properties to provide a safe place for residents who buy and sell products on the internet. Guilford, Hartford, Waterford and Montville are among the Connecticut police departments offering their parking lots or lobbies as safe exchange areas.. Read the full story here.