Local Police Department to Serve as Safe Haven for Online Transactions Made In Person

That must-have item you found on Craigslist is absolutely perfect and there’s no way you can pass it up.

But meeting the seller in person can be sketchy, if not downright unsafe.

Because of that, the Chester Borough Police Department has established an “Internet Purchase Exchange Location” in the parking lot of its headquarters at 50 North Road in Chester.

A sign will go up in the parking lot stating the area is monitored 24 hours a day by closed circuit television and the grounds will serve as a safe place for an exchange to be made.

“We learned about the sign and the idea from another department in Morris County and felt our location would be perfect,” Chief David Jara told Patch. “The area is monitored at all times and people making transactions can feel safe meeting here, and not having to go to someone’s house or a private area.”

The option is open to more than just Chester Borough residents, Jara said.

“If someone from Washington Township is making an exchange with someone from Randolph, for example, this is a great meeting point,” he said.

The Chester Borough Police Department is located at 50 North Road and shares its headquarters with the town’s municipal building.

Photo Courtesy Chester Borough Police Department