A new initiative in an Australian state aims to make people who buy and sell goods in person, through transactions arranged online, feel safer.
Online marketplaces where individuals list second-hand items for sale are used by millions of Australians.
In recent years, users of platforms, including Facebook Marketplace, have not only had to but there have also been some incidents potentially .
Exchange zones, where buyers and sellers can exchange items purchased online, have been established outside 24-hour police stations in Victoria.
The 35 sites across regional and metropolitan areas are designed to give people a safer alternative to meeting strangers in places such as their homes, parks or car parks.
Designated exchange areas must be clearly demarcated, well lit and covered by video surveillance.
Victoria Police is behind the Safer Exchange Sites initiative which follows what it described as a “successful trial” of such a limited number of sites since mid-2022.
Officers at the police stations where the trials took place said they observed people regularly exchanging items and, over a six-month evaluation period, recorded a decrease in thefts and burglaries in the area resulting from the online sale.
Victoria Police has noticed an increase in thefts, thefts and assaults linked to online commerce, which peaked in 2020 before the COVID lockdowns, with smartphones being the most commonly stolen high-value item during such incidents.
Exchange zones are operating around the world, including in the United States, as online marketplaces continue to grow in popularity.
Commander Tim Tully said that while “the overall number of online-related assaults, thefts and burglaries is low, we don’t want to see them happening.”
“As the popularity of buying and selling items on online marketplaces continues to grow, this initiative aims to encourage police to take the lead in ensuring an emerging crime theme does not become a trend integrated.
“While these sites are a safer alternative to meeting someone at your home or in a dimly lit location without CCTV, we still encourage people to consider the risks of meeting someone they have never met before.
“Police suggest meeting during the day if possible and bringing someone with you to the exchange.”
