Buyers of items advertised online are encouraged to meet up with sellers in or in front of police stations where transactions can be monitored and help is at hand in case of illegal activity.
I could not attend the event, but here is a press statement:
"Mayor Adrian O. Mapp is pleased to announce the City of Plainfield ' s newest public safety initiative, an Internet Purchase Exchange Zone.
The City's initiative will afford Internet buyers and sellers to complete their Internet exchanges in front of Plainfield Police Division Headquarters, located at 200 East Fourth Street, Plainfield, NJ.
Two parking spots have been designated in front of headquarters for the initiative which will be monitored by police officers.
Mayor Mapp hopes the program will give residents who conduct transactions on the Internet a safe place to facilitate their Internet purchases/sales."
In general, such programs urge participants to exercise caution in carrying cash or accepting checks. Police will not get involved in buyer-seller disputes over terms of transactions, but meeting at a police station is deemed safer than carrying out a deal in public places such as shopping center parking lots. A website called SafeTrade has more suggestions for ensuring personal safety in completing online deals.
--Bernice
Oh so you can safely exchange cash for crack now lovely
ReplyDeleteThis comment makes no sense.
DeleteThis sounds like a good idea, considering the stories you hear about people being defrauded in these on-line transactions. Anyone who would balk at this is perhaps someone you don't want to do business with. Kudos to the city for this idea.
ReplyDeleteGREAT IDEA MAKE DRUG TRANSACTIONS SAFER
ReplyDeleteCASH 4 CRACK SAFETY ZONE
It made no sense at 5:28 a.m. and still makes no sense.
DeleteWho are the idiots who keep posting about drug deals. They obviously have a beef with the current administration and are too cowardly to be straight forward with their problem. I guess they preferred Sharon's do nothing approach to Plainfield's problems.
ReplyDeleteHATE TO BURST YOUR BUBBLE BOB BUY PLAINFIELD IS A DEN OF DRUGS AND CRIME. THE CITY SHOULD PUT MORE EFFORT IN STOPPING THE GANG VIOLENCE AND DRUG ACTIVITY THEN SET UP A SPOT FOR CRAIG LIST TRANSACTION.
DeleteNOT TO MENTION A PERSON WAS KILLED YESTERDAY AND NOT ONE MENTION OF THE SHOOTING ON BERNICES OR DANS BLOGS.AS FAR AS SHARON SHE WAS USELESS AND THE GOONS SHE PROMOTED AROUND HER DIDNT HELP THEY USED HER AND SCAMMED OVERTIME AND PAID DAYS OFF
My blog is not a news outlet. My press credentials expired on Aug. 1, 2003 when I retired from the Courier News. I'm sure you were able to get all the available news on the homicide from nj.com, mycentraljersey.com, nj1015.com, news12 and other sources, so why are you yelling at a 78-year-old blogger with no car for not doing a crime report?
DeleteWhy is the City spending time and effort (= tax payer dollars), to play nanny for those who choose to sell their wares online, myself included. Big boys and girls are sure to figure out the best way to go about this type of transaction; if they are currently clueless about meeting in a public space, then they will be equally clueless to think to go to a designated purchase zone. Curious to see folks arriving at the "zone" with their vintage dining room set, gently used couch or their barely used oak pool table.
ReplyDeleteWill the City also be offering up police department services for estate sales and garage sales where complete strangers roam through your home and are surrounded by your personal property.
Offering up recommendations is thoughtful and sufficient, no need for further government oversight or intervention. Let's work to improve upon current existing services. This is a perk we could have all waited for.
Now there is a thought out comment.
DeleteThought out yes - well thought out no. Always fun to read the pointless cynical rants that go totally off of gut and emotion. Comparison to Estate Sale is also good - since those are typically managed by a company who is responsible for monitoring people walking through the home to purchase things and often the personal items are for sale (hence the estate sale) and the owner is deceased.
DeleteMaybe a little more fact gathering on how these zones work (since cities around the world have created them), what they cost and the reason for their creation. Possible that through doing research and asking questions the concept isn't as one sided and silly as it is being portrayed.
Also to say "lets work to improve upon current existing services" implies that the city can't work on multiple projects at one time - which they certainly can and do.