The Chattanooga Police Department says it is seeing an increase in robberies involving people who are buying/selling items via online classified apps and websites. "Three such robberies were committed in the past week. The victims were robbed at gunpoint of items they were trying to sell along with other personal items," officials said.
As a crime prevention measure, CPD reminds community members that the department has designated space in front of the Police Service Center, 3410 Amnicola Hwy.
as a Safe Exchange Zone. The purpose of the CPD Safe Exchange Zone is to protect Chattanooga community members while swapping, trading, buying/selling items or during child custody exchanges. The designated location has several video cameras which record 24/7 to ensure a safe transaction. "Anyone wanting to make a transaction does not need to check in at CPD, but should park in the designated Safe Exchange Zone area to complete their business," officials said.
Even though there's a designated area with cameras at the CPD, officials said they still recommend meeting to make exchanges during daylight hours, telling a friend or family member where you're going and remember if a deal seems too good to be true, it's probably a scam.