Safe Zone for internet transactions

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: JESSICA THOMPSON
The London Police Service suggests Londoners use the police station parking lot as a "safe zone" for online transactions.

With websites like Kijiji making it easier than ever to find the secondhand items you’re looking for in your area at a discounted price, it’s also the perfect opportunity for danger.

The London Police Service (LPS) is offering a new option to Londoners in order to make transactions with someone met from the Internet as safe as possible.

The LPS recommends that Londoners utilize the parking lot at the police station as a Safe Zone, or a neutral and safe meeting ground. The parking lot is monitored 24/7, making it an ideal place to make a legal transaction in the event that something goes wrong, though it seems unlikely that someone will rob you when they are being recorded by the police.

The LPS emphasizes that Londoners do not have to call ahead to announce their intended use of the parking lot. The press release added that the police will not arbitrate any transactions or disputes unless they are needed to keep the peace.

Those who agree to meet a stranger for a transaction risk being mugged or other forms of harm. The LPS provided a list of some other safety tips when meeting someone from online, though many of these tips can be applied in other situations as well:

• Always insist to meet in a public place

• Meet during the daytime

• If you utilize the LPS parking lot, make sure to do so during business hours

• Do not invite strangers into your home or go into theirs

• Communicate via email so there is a record of all interactions

• Never go alone

• Be cautious when selling highvalue items

• Always tell someone when and where you’re going

• Do not carry large sums of cash on you

The address for the LPS is 601 Dundas St.