Buying Stuff From Strangers? Redwood City Now Home To 'Safe Exchange Zone'

REDWOOD CITY, CA – San Mateo County residents buying and selling items through websites like Craigslist now have a designated meeting spot in Redwood City at which to make their exchanges. Thanks to the combined efforts of the local sheriff and a county supervisor, the Safe Exchange Zone is officially open to the public as of Thursday.

San Mateo County Sheriff Carlos Bolanos and Supervisor David Canepa held an event Thursday morning to launch the new meeting spot at the Maple Street Correctional Center at 1300 Maple St. in Redwood City. The sheriff's office has set aside two parking spaces, which are marked with signs indicating that the area is reserved for people meeting in order to complete transactions that began online.

"The Sheriff’s Office is proud to be part of the county’s first implemented Safe Exchange Zone," Bolanos said. "The exchange zone’s goal is to provide a safe space for members of our community to meet and conduct transactions while giving them a sense of security. The Sheriff’s Office will continue to look for innovative ways to maintain a high level of safety in San Mateo County."

Sheriff Bolanos & Supervisor Canepa presenting our new Safe Exchange Zone. https://t.co/sNSgP45gGL
— San Mateo County S.O (@SMCSheriff) July 6, 2017

Canepa spearheaded the project after a tragic incident happened a few years ago, in which a man ultimately lost his life while attempting to complete an online transaction in person, sheriff's officials said.

"Supervisor Canepa sought out a way to make online purchasing safer after a Daly City resident was shot to death in 2013, after agreeing to meet a potential buyer in San Francisco to sell a Playstation 4," sheriff's Det. Sal Zuno said in a news release ahead of the opening.

Canepa, as vice mayor of Daly City, pushed for the city to create a safe zone there last year.

– Images via San Mateo County Sheriff's Office / Bay City News Service contributed to this report