Slashdot Mirror
Police Stations Increasingly Offer Safe Haven For Craigslist Transactions
HughPickens.com writes: Lily Hay Newman reports at Future Tense that the police department in Columbia, Missouri recently announced its lobby will be open 24/7 for people making Craigslist transactions or any type of exchange facilitated by Internet services. This follows a trend begun by police stations in Virginia Beach, East Chicago and Boca Raton. Internet listings like Craigslist are, of course, a quick and convenient way to buy, sell, barter, and generally deal with junk. But tales of Craigslist-related assaults, robberies, and murders where victims are lured to locations with the promise of a sale, aren't uncommon. Also, an item being sold could be broken or fake, and the money being used to buy it could be counterfeit.
"Transactions should not be conducted in secluded parking lots, behind a building, in a dark location especially when you're dealing with strangers. Someone you've never met before – you have no idea what their intentions are – whether they have evil intent or the best of intentions," says Officer James Cason Jr. With surveillance cameras running 24 hours a day, plus the obvious bonus of a constant police presence, meeting in the lobby of the police department can help weed out people trying to rip others off. "People with stolen items may not want to meet at the police department," says Bryana Maupin.
"Transactions should not be conducted in secluded parking lots, behind a building, in a dark location especially when you're dealing with strangers. Someone you've never met before – you have no idea what their intentions are – whether they have evil intent or the best of intentions," says Officer James Cason Jr. With surveillance cameras running 24 hours a day, plus the obvious bonus of a constant police presence, meeting in the lobby of the police department can help weed out people trying to rip others off. "People with stolen items may not want to meet at the police department," says Bryana Maupin.
In the Los Angeles area, child custody swaps are handled like this. When there is an unhappy divorce arrangement the courts have a room at local police stations set up for multiple family child visitation exchanges. Moms and children on one side of the room and Dads on the other. Then the children walk across the room.
Explain the logic why they should. You presented none.
First, their job is to make life safer for everyone and to prevent crime. They do that. Second, it's very little effort for them because the crooks and criminals won't come to the police station. Third, a single citizen becoming victim of a crime creates huge amounts of work for the police, so it is much more effective to prevent the crime from happening in the first place. Fourth, it makes people happy and improve their view of the police force which again makes life easier for the police.
A single incident can cost a lot more for them than just having an officer on hand when the transaction takes place. It's not like they're checking IDs and doing background checks here.
I doubt they even have an officer on hand. I live in Columbia and I know which lobby they are talking about. It's a small room at the
entrance to the police headquarters. It's basically a small concrete room with several cameras. The only thing in the room is a teller
window (which will presumably be closed) and a couple doors leading elsewhere. There is probably an alarm button too which would
definitely get someone there in a hurry (as that is their main station where they park their cars so someone is always there).
It's a good move as it basically costs them nothing. I'm actually surprised that it wasn't already open 24/7. The lobby of our post
office across the street I'm pretty sure is already open 24/7. The only real reason not to keep it open 24/7 is to prevent vandalism
but you would have to be pretty stupid to go and try to vandalize a police station full of cameras even if noone was present.
When I've done craigslist transactions, I've always met at a bank or a gas station as I know both have security cameras but if you're
really worried, the police station is better, and as the article mentions, just by the location it should reduce illegal and stolen transactions
as very few criminals would be comfortable selling something stolen in a police station.
So ...just like the United States, then?