The Vancouver Police Department and Clark County Sheriff’s Office will offer their parking lots as safe places for people to meet and complete transactions started online on sites such as Craigslist.
The Safe Exchange Zones, as they’re called, are meant to provide an alternative for online buyers and sellers who might not want to meet at a stranger’s house or an unfamiliar spot.
“It’s important to remember, everyone online is a stranger, so offering our parking lots as a place where legal transactions can occur seemed like a natural extension of our community crime-prevention efforts,” Vancouver Police Chief James McElvain said in a news release.
Sheriff’s office parking lots have often been thought of as neutral zones where people can meet and know a deputy may be close if needed, Sheriff Chuck Atkins said.
