Greeley Police Declare Safe Zones for Online Transactions

If a buyer purchases an item through an online seller, they will most likely have to meet that person somewhere to complete the transaction and pick up whatever it is that they are buying. However, you never know what can happen when meeting a complete stranger. Case and point, the scary incident that unfolded almost a year ago, when a Longmont woman was attacked after responding to an ad posted on Craigslist for baby clothes. 

In addition to this local occurrence, there have been an increasing amount of cases nationwide where people have reported to being robbed or violently encountered by the individual that they were planning on selling an item to or purchasing something from.

To help to avoid instances like this from happening, and to make the whole process of online transactions more comfortable and safer for both buyers and sellers in general, the Greeley Police Department has followed suit of many other law enforcement agencies around the country and have created designated safe zones for meeting up at. The main lobby of the police department, as well as the parking lot, have both been declared as safe zones, intended for online transactions to take place at during the day or at night. Law enforcement encourages that if the meet-up is scheduled for nighttime, residents should conduct their business close to the entrance of the station where there's more light. As a safety precaution, they also suggest letting a family member or friend know before you plan on going to meet someone from the internet, and providing them with details about where you'll be and when.

Though Greeley Police have granted access to the public to use their headquarters as a safe location to meet at, they cannot guarantee the quality or authenticity of items bought online and don't intend to be involved in any of the transactions that take place there. They are the second agency in Weld County to officially assign their department as a safe zone.