BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Online shopping could get a little safer for South Alabamians as the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office recently created a “Safe Exchange Zone” for people to meet up with those they bargained with on the internet.
According to a report from Al.com, the zone, located at the intersection of Hoyle Avenue and 3rd Street, will be camera-monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The goal is to provide a secure environment between individuals who agreed to terms of sale online to meet and exchange in-person. However, the BSCO noted it will not oversee the transactions themselves, but will simply monitor the participants for security reasons.
Sheriff Huey Hoss Mack told Al.com that the zone will hopefully help deter fraudulent internet transactions that can be common on websites such as Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. According to its website, Craigslist currently has 60 million unique users and 50 billion page views each month. With deals on days like “Cyber Monday,” online sales have historically spiked in late November and December.
With the number of people shopping online increasing each year, police departments across the country are creating SEZs to protect those shopping from non-commercial merchants. The Washington Post chronicled the history of the recent phenomenon, which began in Boca Raton, Fla. and has since spread to Alabama, Virginia, Illinois, and California.
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