A safer way to sell

Editorial: Emily Wan

Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann

A new Victoria Police initiative is helping to shore up the safety of buyers and sellers using online trading platforms such as Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree.

Special zones where people can exchange items purchased online have been set up outside 35 of Victoria Police’s 24-hour police stations to provide a safer alternative to meeting up with a stranger at a private home, park or carpark.

Each Safer Exchange Site has clear signage outside the police station, along with CCTV coverage and lighting.

North West Metro Region Commander Tim Tully, who oversees Melbourne’s northern suburbs, said the concept was developed after an increase in robberies, thefts, and assaults linked to online trading in the community.

Cmdr Tully said while the number of crimes connected to online exchanges remained low, “we don’t want to see any occur”.

“With the popularity of online marketplaces continuing to grow, this initiative is all about police getting on the front foot to ensure an emerging crime theme doesn’t become an embedded trend," Cmdr Tully said.

Designated physical sites to transact are well established overseas in places like the United States and are frequented by buyers and sellers to avoid opportunistic crime.

Victoria Police saw the benefit of establishing a similar initiative in the state and Cmdr Tully led a trial that involved Safer Exchange Sites being set up at a small number of 24-hour police stations across Melbourne’s northeast.

After a six-month trial, it was clear there was a desire and need for these in the broader community.

“During the trial, the chance of thefts and robberies stemming from online sales decreased because police officers observed members of the community exchanging items on a regular basis,” Cmdr Tully said.

“Having these sites on police property helps remove the opportunity for crime to occur at common transaction places like a purchaser’s or seller’s home, community parks, and carparks at the time of payment or item collection.

People feel safe and reassured knowing if assistance is needed, police are only a short distance away.

Cmdr Tully said even though most people’s experiences of meeting other community members to exchange items is positive, it’s important to consider the risks of meeting up with someone you don’t know.

“Police will always act to keep everyone safe, but we can’t be everywhere at once, so make use of your closest Safer Exchange Site as much as possible,” he said.

“If you can’t get to one, meet in another well-populated, well-lit area. Try to meet during daylight hours and bring someone with you to the exchange.”

To find your local Safer Exchange Site, visit www.police.vic.gov.au/online-marketplace-safe-exchange-sites.