A Swap Zone set up in the Police Department parking lot provides residents with another option to buy and sell items. With distinct signage and a Citywide Camera recording transactions, Moreno Valley’s Swap Zone provides a safer alternative to meeting a stranger at a private residence or unfamiliar location. The area is also available for visitation exchanges of children in families with custodial arrangements.
As the number of online person-to-person sales has grown along with the use of websites like Craigslist and LetGo, local communities have seen an increase in related crime including assaults, robberies, and other thefts.
The City’s new Swap Zone aims to reduce these types of crimes by providing a highly visible location in the police department parking lot outfitted with a camera. The designated area is solely an exchange location, and the City cannot provide assurances against unfavorable interactions between buyers and sellers. The Swap Zone is to be used only for lawful exchanges of items, with the exception of weapons or any other dangerous materials. The Moreno Valley Police Department is not responsible for the value, authenticity, or legitimacy of the transactions.
Additional social media transaction safety tips: Use sites like Moreno Valley's "Swap Zone" to help document these types of transactions; Do not meed in a secluded place or invite strangers into your home; Be particularly careful when buying or selling high value items; Tell a friend or family member where you are going; Take your cellphone with you, or consider having a friend accompany you; Never purchase anything online using your credit card from a site that does not have Secure Sockets Layer (SSL); Always ask a lot of questions; Avoid meetings at night, and trust your instincts.
The aim of this Moreno Valley swap zone is to potentially deter possible increases of assaults and robberies among the citizens of Moreno Valley who regularly participate in these types of informal transactions that are conducted through sites that offer person to person sales .
The Swap Zone is located at the Moreno Valley Police Department, 22850 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos in Moreno Valley. For more information please call 951.486.6700.