Close X
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
ADVT 
National

Police Department Creates Zone For Safer Online Sales In Abbotsford, B.C.

The Canadian Press, 28 Feb, 2018 12:08 PM
    ABBOTSFORD, B.C. — Meeting a stranger to complete an online deal can feel risky, even for a veteran police officer.
     
     
    Sgt. Judy Bird knows first-hand about the "sketchy" feeling that can come with buying or selling items on platforms like Craigslist, Kijiji or Facebook.
     
     
    "Even though you're not doing anything wrong, it feels weird. You're sitting in your car, waiting to meet somebody that you don't know and hoping that this transaction goes well," said Bird, spokeswoman for the Abbotsford Police Department in B.C.
     
     
    Abbotsford police are trying to make online deals less risky by turning two parking stalls in front of the department's headquarters into a space where people can meet safely.
     
     
    The area is under video surveillance and close to the station's front doors, in case safety issues arise during a deal.
     
     
    "This provides one more safe place where people can meet others to make these transactions in a safer manner," Bird said. "Most offenders will not come to the police department."
     
     
    Online forums advertising everything from smart phones to wedding decor are popular in the Fraser Valley and the vast majority of transactions are problem free, she added.
     
     
    But classified ads have led to violence in the past in B.C.
     
     
    In 2004, Marc Rozen was killed in his Vancouver apartment after he placed an ad in a local paper saying he wanted to sell an engagement ring appraised at $18,000.
     
     
    Police said the 38-year-old was murdered for the jewellery.
     
     
    A man identified by police as a gang member was convicted in 2013 of first-degree murder in Rozen's death. 
     
     
    Kijiji Canada spokesman Kent Sikstrom said a number of steps are taken to protect user safety on the sales platform, including technology that detects and removes potentially unsafe or illegal posts, and a customer service team that responds to listings flagged by users.
     
     
    The company also encourages people to meet in public places like coffee shops to complete transactions, Sikstrom added.
     
     
    "If you're going to somebody's house to pick up a couch, let's say, or something heavier that you couldn't transport to a coffee shop, we always recommend bringing a friend with you, making sure you inspect the quality of the items ... maybe even agreeing to meet at those buy and sell zones as well. These are all great options," he said.
     
     
    Sikstrom added that anyone who experiences a crime should report it to police.
     
     
    Police in Abbotsford are happy to provide a safe place for exchanges and will step in if a crime is committed, but officers can't help if an item isn't as advertised, Bird said.
     
     
    People should not bring extra cash, and remember to never share personal information like social insurance numbers or banking details, she added.
     
     
    "Though we are a very trusting community with good people, it's important for us to also look after our own safety," Bird said.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Charter Plane With 10 People On Board Slides Off Runway In Abbotsford, B.C.

    Charter Plane With 10 People On Board Slides Off Runway In Abbotsford, B.C.
    Airport general manager Parm Sidhu said officials were trying to confirm what happened but no one was seriously hurt.

    Charter Plane With 10 People On Board Slides Off Runway In Abbotsford, B.C.

    SEE PICS: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh Marries Toronto-Based Designer Gurkiran Kaur Sidhu

    SEE PICS: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh Marries Toronto-Based Designer Gurkiran Kaur Sidhu
    NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is now a married man. Singh posted the picture of the wedding ceremony with his new-wife, Gurkiran Kaur, on social media.

    SEE PICS: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh Marries Toronto-Based Designer Gurkiran Kaur Sidhu

    Minister Says Greyhound's Decision To Cut, Reduce Routes In B.C. ‘Unfortunate'

    Minister Says Greyhound's Decision To Cut, Reduce Routes In B.C. ‘Unfortunate'
    Greyhound Canada will eliminate or reduce routes in northern British Columbia, the Interior and Vancouver Island amid financial losses and a steep drop in passengers. 

    Minister Says Greyhound's Decision To Cut, Reduce Routes In B.C. ‘Unfortunate'

    Boy Fascinated With Garbage Trucks Gets One Of His Own From Sanitation Crew

    Boy Fascinated With Garbage Trucks Gets One Of His Own From Sanitation Crew
    EASTERN PASSAGE, N.S. — A Nova Scotia boy who every week waits wide-eyed for the local garbage truck now has a truck of his own — just on a slightly smaller scale.

    Boy Fascinated With Garbage Trucks Gets One Of His Own From Sanitation Crew

    State Of Emergency Remains In Place After Brantford, Ont., Flooding

    A southwestern Ontario community remains under a state of emergency after flooding from a swollen river forced thousands of residents from their homes.

    State Of Emergency Remains In Place After Brantford, Ont., Flooding

    Child Porn Racket On WhatsApp Group Unearthed, 1 Arrested

    Child Porn Racket On WhatsApp Group Unearthed, 1 Arrested
    The CBI on Thursday registered a case and booked five persons on charges of uploading and circulating child pornography through a Whatsapp group that had 119 members from both India and abroad.

    Child Porn Racket On WhatsApp Group Unearthed, 1 Arrested