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Good news today out of the Left Coast. The Clovis, California Police Department has just announced that they will be opening an “Exchange Zone” in an effort to make sneaker meetups and other trades that take place off of Facebook, Craigslist and other online forums safer.
Their Facebook page posted the following announcement along with an image of the “Exchange Zone” area:
“Clovis Police have created an “Exchange Zone” as a place to meet for private party transactions.
The Clovis Police Department is pleased to offer a program like this, which allows a safer alternative for those meeting to sell or purchase items via Craigslist, eBay and even classified ads. The “Exchange Zone” is a marked parking area in front of Clovis Police Headquarters, which is well lighted and under video surveillance.
Although there will not be a police officer present for these transactions, we believe arranging to meet at the police department in an area designated for this purpose will deter those wanting to engage in theft or fraudulent activity. “Exchange Zones” such as this one have come to be known as a “Face Spot” in the online transaction world where those who wish to buy or sell meet face-to-face to complete their transactions. The object of the program is to help reduce or prevent fraudulent and illegal transactions while maintaining the privacy of our residents by not arranging these exchanges at alternative locations like their private residences.
The Clovis Police Department is among the first law enforcement agencies in the Valley to offer a program like this. Assisting the public by offering a place to exchange goods in front of the Clovis Police Department is a safer alternative to other meeting locations, and that is the reason why Clovis Police Corporal Jared Binford worked diligently on this project for the citizens of Clovis.”
This is great news for sneakerheads and also an emerging trend of police departments looking out for locals. As you may recall, last year Colonie, NY Police Chief Steve Heider invited meetups to take place in their lobby in reaction to a robbery around that time. This sparked The Shoe Game’s Ray Polanco to reach out to his local police department in Las Vegas to see if they’d offer the same service. They said yes and we’re happy to say that Austin, TX police department also agreed.
With the holiday season approaching, many people will be unloading shoes online to save up for upcoming purchases. When doing a sneaker meetup, it’s important to make sure you are as safe as possible — and it doesn’t get much more safer than a police station.
When doing a sneaker meetup, make sure to travel with friends and to meet up in a very public place during daylight hours. It’s certainly very worthwhile to consider a police station as a place to meet. In general, trust your gut and make the setting as safe and public as possible.
Salute to the Clovis Police Department and all other police departments across the country offering safe spaces for meetups.
