The Town of Lakeshore now has a safe place to complete Internet sales transactions. People selling items on websites like Kijiji and Craigslist can be more comfortable when making the face-to-face exchanges.
The idea originated in Calgary and earlier this year the first local "Project Safe Trade" site was set up in Tecumseh. The idea is that people who buy or sell items on various websites have a secure location to go to exchange their item for cash.
OPP Constable Jim Root says the idea is to make frauds or other rip-offs less likely:
"'It's basically going to deter those types on crimes from happening because of the fact that we're allowing these transactions to take place in a public police department parking lot," says Root.
The new site is at the OPP detachment in Belle River on Notre Dame St. Root makes it clear police aren't going to participate in the transactions, but they're right there if anything illegal does happen.