The Ocala Police Department is encouraging the public to use an exchange zone for online transactions.
The department made the announcement through social media concerning its E-commerce Exchange Zone, which is located in the parking lot of the Ocala Police Department Headquarters at 402 S Pine Avenue.
“If you’re buying or selling items through an online marketplace and are looking for a safe place to make the exchange, consider meeting at our E-Commerce Exchange Zone,” reads the post.
The area is under 24-hour surveillance and is only steps from the entrance of the Ocala Police Department Headquarters.
Transactions through online marketplaces have skyrocketed in recent years. Posts across Facebook marketplace, Craigslist, Offer-Up, Letgo, and multiple other popular sites have created a need for safe places where people may exchange goods.
Like Ocala Police Department, hundreds of police departments across the country have taken it upon themselves to create those spaces.