Do you have reservations about meeting a stranger to purchase or sell something advertised online?
The Abbotsford Police Department (APD) recently set up an area outside its headquarters for people to safely complete online purchase sales and transactions. The video-monitored zone has two parking spots and signage.
“The new Buy and Sell Exchange Zone offers video surveillance, a safe location and the presence of law enforcement to enhance public safety and to reduce crime,” APD Sgt. Judy Bird said in a press release.
Meeting an unknown buyer or seller from Craigslist, Kijiji or Facebook can be risky when you don’t know who you’re dealing with. In a poll, The Observer asked if you think the communities of Agassiz and Harrison would benefit from having a safe space for buy-and-sell transactions.
From 29 respondents, 62 per cent said yes, they would feel safer completing online transactions with a designated safe zone. Nine respondents, or 31 per cent, said no, they aren’t worried and two responded that they don’t make online transactions.
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Does Agassiz Harrison need a safe, designated buy and sell zone?
Sgt. Darren Rennie of the Agassiz RCMP said crime around online buy-and-sell transactions hasn’t been an issue in the area.
“I don’t think we had a single complaint last year,” he wrote in an email to The Observer.
In a tweet on March 5, the BC RCMP wrote, “We don’t have a sign but you are always welcome to use the area in front of any of our detachments as a safer trading and meeting spot, for your buy-and-sell purchases.”
