AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Lockhart Police Department installed its first community MeetUp Spot for safe exchange sign after a sale between two people did not go as planned.
Lockhart Chief of Police Gary Williamson said two people met up for the sale of some shoes that were found online in June. That man allegedly took the shoes from the seller and ran without paying. He was eventually arrested, Williamson said.
“I’ve been [with the department] for two years and that incident with the tennis shoes was an incident that hasn’t happened in years,” said Williamson. “We want to prevent this from happening in the future.”
About a month later, the department added the meet up spot to create a safe exchange area for the Lockhart community — and people gave positive feedback, according to Lockhart PD’s social media post.
The designated spot is located at the parking lot of Lockhart Police Station at 214 Bufkin Lane. It is now one of several monitored exchange locations in Central Texas.
According to the social media post, several people commented “great idea.” But there were also comments hoping other cities in the Austin area had a “few of these.”
While the internet can be a great place to discover secondhand items and score great deals, buyers meeting up with online sellers should be mindful about who they are meeting with and where, for their safety.
The same goes for sellers. Majority of the time, sellers prefer to meet with the buyer at a location that’s away from their home for their own privacy.
KXAN reached out to at least 13 police departments in the area, asking if it had safe exchange spots for residents. So far, seven police departments have confirmed safe exchange locations. Check below for a list and map of safe exchange locations throughout Central Texas.
Williamson County
- Georgetown Police Department, 3500 D.B. Wood Road
- GPD said the Public Safety Operations and Training Center lobby is available as a SafeTrade location during business hours. The parking lot is available 24-hours.
- Cedar Park Police Department, 911 Quest Parkway
- The Cedar Park Safe Trade location on 911 Quest Parkway is set up at four parallel parking spots in front of the Police Department Expansion along Discovery road, according to the website. The area is monitored and recorded on a 24-hour surveillance system. Below are images of the SafeTrade spot, per CCPD website.
- Round Rock Police Department, 2701 N. Mays Street
- The Safety Exchange Zone is located in the front parking lot of the police department. The spot is also monitored by surveillance 24/7, RRPD said.
Travis County
- Pflugerville Police Department, 1611 E Pfenning Lane
- Pflugerville PD said it is a registered SafeTrade Station. The PPD website said buyers and sellers can meet inside the Pflugerville Justice Center lobby, 1611 E Pfenning Lane, or in the parking lot.
- Manor Police Department, 402 W. Parsons Street
- The Manor Police Department said it has “two spots one marked in our parking lot.”
- Austin Police Department
- APD has four police stations across the city and every one of them is a safe exchange location, according to APD. Below are the following locations.
- APD Main Headquarters: 715 E 8th Street
- Central East Substation: 812 Springdale Road
- South Substation: 404 Ralph Ablanedo Drive
- North Substation: 12425 Lamplight Village Avenue
- APD has four police stations across the city and every one of them is a safe exchange location, according to APD. Below are the following locations.
Hays County
- Kyle Police Department, 1700 Kohlers Crossing
- According to the Kyle Police Department, it does not have a designated or marked safe exchange location. However, the department said residents can make their online exchanges at its parking lot or lobby of the police department.
What should buyers/sellers lookout for?
Austin Police said buyers and sellers should do their research before meeting up for the transaction.
“Check things like is this a new account or is it an established account when you’re looking at the person’s profile that you are selling to,” said APD Detective Alexandra Parker said. “If you’re feeling uneasy, trust your instinct.”
Other safety tips from Austin Police Department
APD provided the following tips to consider before meeting up:
- Take note of their license plate numbers
- Take screenshots of the conversation and profile of the person you are meeting with before the meeting
- Verifying if the person’s phone number is real
- Do not meet at places like an apartment complex or dimly lit areas
- Do not give our personal information
“This could happen to anyone at any time so it’s important to be aware of your surroundings,” Parker advised. “If you see something, say something.”
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