Last summer, John Noon sold an old electric lawnmower online, but didn’t feel safe conducting the physical transaction at his home.
So, he decided to wheel the lawnmower up Robbinsville-Allentown Road, to the parking lot of the Robbinsville Police Department. There, he made the exchange, while police officers went in and out of their headquarters, some checking to make sure Noon and his business partner were OK. They both were, in part thanks to the reassurance the police presence provided them.
At the time, there was no official policy that residents could use the police station for exchanges of items sold online, but the officers Noon spoke with were receptive of the idea.
As it turns out, Noon was on to a trend that was about to take off. As more and more individuals are selling used or unwanted items on websites like Craigslist or online yard sale groups on Facebook, more police departments across the country are providing places for residents to conduct the transactions in a safe, monitored location.
In February, RPD became one of those departments when it unveiled an Internet Purchase Exchange Location in its parking lot, marked by a sign and video recorded 24/7. The idea for the official space came from township dispatcher Kathy Murr, who saw police elsewhere establishing “safe transaction zones” and brought the concept to Sandy Bainbridge, RPD’s acting police chief.
Bainbridge readily accepted the idea. She said both she and her sister have used Craigslist to buy items, and every transaction is an anxious experience since you’re dealing face-to-face with a stranger, often in an unknown location with an item you are seeing in-person for the first time.
Bainbridge said Robbinsville has had no problems with fraud or violence related to online transactions, but she wanted to provide community members a place where they know they’ll be safe.
“It’s not a secret there’ve been murders and assaults, so people are nervous—and rightfully so,” Bainbridge said. “Meeting at a police station, it just helps. It gives you peace of mind. It’s an opportunity for the bad guy, this kind of selling, so we take the opportunity away.”
Robbinsville’s Department of Public Works installed a sign marking the location in late February, after the idea had been cleared by township business administrator Joy Tozzi and township attorney Mark Roselli. It took a month for the whole process—from Murr’s proposal to reality. Since installation, the exchange location—which is pair of parking spaces in front of the police station—has been in use constantly, Bainbridge said. In addition to handing off items, the spaces have been used for child custody exchanges as well.
RPD is not keeping track of the number of people using the location, but response online has been overwhelming. A post about the exchange location on the Robbinsville Township Facebook page broke page records for reach (64,633), shares (389) and likes (911). A post on Robbinsville Township PBA Local 344’s Facebook page received an even larger response, Bainbridge said. Word has gotten out across the region, and people from outside of Robbinsville have started using the safe zone.
“I’m thrilled and surprised at the response we’ve gotten,” Bainbridge said. “Tons of people are using it. The minute it went up, it went crazy.”
Robbinsville is one of the first towns in the state to have one of these locations. In New Jersey, they have been established in Bordentown Township, Woodlawn Park, Hillsdale, Chester Borough, Paulsboro and Cherry Hill—all in the last five months.
In Cherry Hill, police created two safe transaction zones in early November 2015—one in the lobby of the police department, the second in the back lot of the town’s municipal complex—in part, to combat a string of fraud cases occurring at Cherry Hill Mall. On the surface, the mall’s parking lot seemed safe—it’s a public place with lots of traffic. But it’s also not monitored 24/7, and it’s a location that creates a false sense of security, Cherry Hill Police Chief Bud Monaghan said.
In one case, a man thought he had picked up a pair of iPhones. Instead, he had purchased boxes full of rocks. If the victim had met at Cherry Hill’s safe transaction zone instead, he would have had, at the very least, a recording of the crime, including video of the perpetrator’s car, license plates and face. And odds are most people looking to commit a crime won’t agree to meet at a police station. Any type of hesitance should raise concerns about the deal and the other person’s intentions, Monaghan said.
“If a person says no to meeting at the police station, you shouldn’t do the deal,” he said.
So far, the community has embraced the zones in Cherry Hill, with people even using them to sell cars and off-road vehicles. Monaghan said he’s pleased to see them used so often, particularly since they are a way for the police to build a relationship with the community.
The community angle is part of what drew Bainbridge to the idea. Community outreach has been a focus of hers since she assumed the role of acting chief in December 2015. She launched a “Coffee With A Cop” program in February, and she said the exchange location is yet another way a police department can show it is there to support its community.
“Social media is huge, and you have to go with the times,” she said.
Other tips include:
*Never have someone come to your house. They could say they’re interested in an item, but really they’re casing your house for a burglary.
*Never go alone.
*Park where you can see the other car’s plates and they can see yours.
*If exchanging at the police station, be sure to park in designated spot, which is in view of cameras.
*Always go in daylight.
*If weather is bad or you must do an exchange at night, use the lobby of police station instead.
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