If you’re buying or selling goods through Craigslist or other websites, you might be a little hesitant to let a stranger into your homes, or venture to theirs. One police department near Philadelphia is designating its station as a “safe zone” for people to exchange items and cash for transactions arranged through online sales sites, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. Conshohocken, Pa., said its police department’s parking lot and lobby are available for people to conduct the transactions safely.
The lobby is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and both the parking lot and lobby have 24-hour video surveillance, police said. The department said the police station’s parking lot is well-lit at night. Police say it can be unsafe to give your home address to someone you don’t know, so conducting the exchange in a public place can be a safer option. In the Philadelphia area, a number of violent crimes have been reported as a result of online transactions gone wrong. In May, a man was charged with attempted murder for a shooting during a supposed sale of dirt bike that one of the victims had listed on Craigslist.