ATHABASCA – You never know who you’re going to meet or what you’re going to get when you arrange to buy or sell something online, and that goes for the other party as well.
The Athabasca RCMP and the Community Opportunities and Protection Society teamed up to officially introduce a safe exchange space May 10 at 3402 48th Ave., in the RCMP detachment parking lot on the east hill — an open, public place many have already used for similar purposes in the past.
“The area is designed to allow anyone buying or selling items online to feel more comfortable when meeting someone from online,” said Const. Billy Kelly. “The safe exchange zone will be open 24/7, but we encourage residents to use the area during daylight hours.”
It’s an initiative that communities around the province are establishing, and Athabasca RCMP are excited to be a part of it, he added.
The Community Opportunities and Protection Society (COPS) is a local Facebook group of nearly 400 members who work together as an online crime watch organization that helps to keep tabs on crime and known criminals in the region. The group works alongside the Boyle and Area Crime Watch Group.
“The group is to get people to give us ideas on what we can do to make (Athabasca) better,” said page admin Rod Kerr, who is also president of Athabasca Citizens on Patrol.
A group member brought up the idea of creating a local safe exchange zone, he said, and it wasn’t long after that he had the sign made up at the local sign shop, Fastsigns, and arranged for the space to be made available at the RCMP detachment.
Not only will it be a safe spot to conduct transactions with strangers from the Internet, but it also serves as a place where custody exchanges can take place as well. Not only that, but being located at the RCMP detachment, it may also help stop stolen items from changing hands, as often happens online, said Kerr.
“There's a lot of hot stuff being sold too, and so it may discourage sellers of hot goods from coming up, and if you don’t want to go to their house, or don’t want them to come to your house, you don't have to, you can say no,” he said.
Kelly noted officers won’t be available to supervise or negotiate any transactions, but offered several tips to make sure all goes well, and everybody gets what they’re expecting.
He suggested asking the other party for identification before meeting and bringing along a friend or family member. At the very least, let someone know where you’re going and why. He also recommends not disclosing how you will be paying beforehand if it’s not necessary, and to request a bill of sale afterwards. It’s also advisable to take screenshots of advertisements and any communication between yourself and the other person.
Finally, if you do suspect the item being sold is stolen, report it to the RCMP.
