Salinas Police offer safe meeting spot for sales and exchanges
SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Bryan Lustre turns to online sites to get rid of items he no longer needs. "A lot of people don't feel safe having people come meet them at their homes. They prefer meeting a person somewhere out in town," said Lustre.
Even meet-ups scheduled in public places, like a grocery store parking lot, can turn dangerous in an instant. That's according to Salinas Police. Officers said, a couple weeks ago, a person was robbed and injured by someone who agreed to sell them a pair of shoes on the "Offer Up" app.
"We've had similar incidents in the past that motivated us to provide a safe area where these transactions can be made," said Miguel Cabrera with the Salinas Police Department.
That "safe area" can now be found in the parking lot of the Salinas Police Department at 312 E Alisal St. Two parking spaces in the lot are reserved for a safe meeting place.
The area is under 24-hour video surveillance. People are free to use them as often as they need to exchange items off websites where meeting in-person is required.
"Due to the number of transactions of this type, they're happening all over the place, we put our heads together and decided that this was going to be a very good thing to provide our community," said Cabrera.
Lustre said he previously met others at a local bank to buy and sell items. Now, he said he will come to the Salinas Police Department for a safer experience.
"When you sell things that are very valuable and high in price, you are always at risk. I think this safe zone is a very smart thing to do. I hope more police departments do the exact same thing," said Lustre.
