Regina Police designate safe space for people handling online market sales

A new crime prevention and community safety initiative in Regina aims to help those purchasing items online.

People engaging in online buying and selling have a safer spot to exchange items through a dedicated space provided by Regina Police Service (RPS).

The Safety Transaction Zone allows the public to deal with in-person transactions related to online marketplace purchases, including Facebook marketplace sales, in an area equipped with security cameras.

“We see a lot of reports where somebody meets in the middle of nowhere, in a parking lot, in a vacant parking lot and sometimes in those instances it turns into something like a robbery or a theft or a fraud,” explained RPS Acting Chief Lorilee Davies.

“We just think if we can provide this opportunity for people to be able to participate in online buying sales in a little bit of a safer manner, we’re happy to do it.”

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The zone is located in the parking area of RPS headquarters at 1717 Saskatchewan Drive.

Although the building’s security cameras will not be monitored by police 24/7, Davies said the footage will be available if something were to go wrong.

“There really is no limit to what we see in terms of, unfortunately, people taking advantage of others,” she expressed.

“I think anytime if someone is meeting someone they don’t know, a stranger, this is an opportunity for that interaction to happen in a safe [space] that is very public.”

The idea behind the crime prevention initiative comes after the police received about 75 reports of fraud and robbery, among other crimes, related to online transactions so far this year.

Other municipalities who have also taken part in the safe exchange zones include Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, as well as several cities in Ontario.