Catoosa Police Create Designated Safe Space To Meet For Online Purchases

Many people buy items from others online, but police recommend when meeting in person, to do so in a well-lit, well-populated public place. People in Catoosa now have a designated safe place designed for those kinds of meetings.

The Safe Exchange Place is at the Catoosa Police Department, and it comes with a surveillance camera that's rolling 24/7.

Catoosa Police Chief Ronnie Benight said the idea came from his daughter who saw another police department doing something similar.

"So, I thought that would be something that would be good for our community. To make our community safer," said Benight.

Benight said the exchange place is ideal for meeting people to pick up something you've bought online. He said those types of meetings with strangers can sometimes lead to a dangerous situation.

"Armed robberies, strong-arm robberies, selling items that aren't really available, just setting somebody up," he said.

Benight said it's also perfect for parents needing to do child custody exchanges.

"We've had calls before with people that end up in a domestic dispute over a child exchange," Benight said.

Now, no matter what the reason for your meeting, if something goes wrong, it's all on camera.

"I think people would feel more comfortable coming to the police department for one, and definitely knowing that they're being video recorded," Benight said.

Chief Benight said this isn't just for people in Catoosa, he said anyone, from any community, can come at any time.

The police department plans on installing even more cameras around the building in the weeks to come.