Special zones where buyers and sellers can exchange items purchased online have been established outside 35 24-hour police stations across Victoria, including in the west.
Buyers and sellers can now meet at special zones established at Altona, Broadmeadows, Craigieburn, Melton, Werribee and Bacchus Marsh.
The exchange sites provide people transacting items listed on online marketplaces with a safer alternative than meeting unknown people at locations such as their homes, parks, or carparks.
The new locations join Safer Exchange Sites at Mernda and Mill Park which were established during the scheme’s trial in mid-2022.
During the trial’s six-month evaluation period, thefts and robberies in the area stemming from online sales decreased, while police officers at these stations also observed people exchanging items on a regular basis.
Each Safer Exchange Site has clear signage outside the 24-hour police station, as well as CCTV coverage and lighting.
According to Victoria Police Commander Tim Tully the concept was first developed following an increase in robberies, thefts and assaults linked to online trading, which peaked in 2020 before COVID lockdowns. He said smartphones are the most common high value item stolen in these incidents.
“While the overall number of assaults, thefts and robberies connected to online exchanges is low, we don’t want to see any occur,” Commander Tully said.
“With the popularity of buying and selling items via 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.
“While these sites are a safer alternative than meeting someone at your home or in a dimly lit area with no CCTV, we still encourage people to consider the risks of meeting a person they’ve never met before.
“Police suggest meeting during daylight hours if possible and bringing someone with you to the exchange.”
Exchange zones have been popular in the United States as online marketplaces continue to gain in popularity, with feedback indicating people feel safer meeting in designated sites with good lighting and CCTV.
