The City of North Battleford now has a safe area for people to exchange goods purchased online through buy-and-sell sites.
The area is located in the parking lot of the North Battleford Fire Department, at 902 104 St. It is open 24/7, and has video surveillance. Two parking spaces have been set aside for the exchange site.
The zone is the first in North Battleford, while similar zones are available in Saskatoon and Prince Albert.
The idea of creating a safe exchange zone gained steam last September after a man was robbed at gunpoint while trying to sell a phone.
RCMP Sgt. Adam Buckingham recognized the number of people buying and selling goods online is growing.
“We know online buy/sell/swaps are very popular. We want to help the people in our community to stay safe by providing a public, well-monitored area for transactions to occur,” said Sgt. Buckingham in a media release. “This initiative is another way we’re helping to keep our communities safe when it comes to online exchanges.”
In the statement, the RCMP outlined several steps people can take to remain as safe as possible.
- Don’t meet alone, if possible bring a friend or a family member or tell someone where you are going
- If you are unable to meet at the Safe Internet Exchange Zone, please consider completing your transaction in well-lit, public locations
- Don’t give out personal information such as banking details or your home address
- Don’t bring large quantities of cash when meeting
- Be cautious when buying/selling high-value items
- If someone isn’t willing to meet at the Safe Internet Exchange Zone, there is a chance it isn’t a legitimate transaction
The project is a joint initiative between the City of North Battleford and the Battleford RCMP.
