Thursday, July 23, 2015

La Porte Police offer safe exchange for children & to meet strangers to sell/buy items

Exchange Safety Zone now offered by LPPD to area residents

July 2015 marks a new era in camera-monitored safety for La Porte residents. 

Now placed along the front parking lot of the LPPD Police Facility, located at 3001 North 23rd street, is a citizen exchange safety zone, which will allow area residents to make property exchanges and on-line initiated sales transactions in a well-lit public area which is monitored by police surveillance cameras. 

Additionally, while civil in nature, child custody exchanges can also occur in the digitally monitored section.

The exchange zone is LPPD’s response to a national trend in violence and theft offenses during the exchange of property, stemming from various on-line exchange sites, such as Craigslist, E-Bay, and others. 

Essentially, some criminals pose as traders, then rob or assault other parties when an exchange of property was initially agreed upon. Now, with safety zones popping up across the nation, various transactions can occur in relative safety. 

Moreover, with police facility zones, such as the one offered by the City of La Porte, should a citizen experience any problems during the transaction, they are but a few feet away from the front door of the police department. 

Equally important, police can immediately ensure video evidence is secured for any investigations and/or criminal prosecution.

For more information on LPPD’s citizen exchange safety zone, or if you have been a victim of crime related to a property exchange, please contact the LPPD Criminal Investigation Division at 281-842-3173.