POPLARVILLE, Miss.—The Poplarville Police Department has created a safety exchange zone where residents can complete online purchases or custody exchanges under 24-hour video surveillance.
The zone is located in the department‘s parking lot and is marked with a reserved sign. Anyone—not just Poplarville residents—can use the space at any time without notifying the department beforehand.
Police Chief Chad Dorn said the goal is to give people a safer place to meet when completing transactions arranged online.
“Unfortunately, we have a lot of people out there who like to take advantage of other people and even commit violent crimes during those exchanges,” Dorn said. “It gives them a safe place where they feel comfortable making that exchange.”
The parking lot is well-lit and monitored by security cameras. Dorn said the cameras are not watched live, but footage can be reviewed if needed.
The zone can be used for exchanges related to online marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and eBay, as well as custody exchanges.
Dorn said residents sometimes ask officers to stand by during custody exchanges, but that is not always possible.
“We’re a small department, so a lot of the time officers might not be able to come right away to do that,” Dorn said.
He said the exchange zone provides an alternative that allows officers to continue responding to other calls.
Other law enforcement agencies in Mississippi have created similar spaces, including the Clinton Police Department and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office.
Dorn said the idea gained urgency after a father and daughter were killed during a Facebook Marketplace exchange in Panola County.
Even with the designated zone, Dorn said residents should take precautions before meeting someone in person.
“You don’t know who you’re going to meet,” Dorn said. “You don’t know what their intentions are.”
This article first appeared on RHCJC and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.