PARK CITY, Utah, May 17, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — The Summit County Sheriff’s Office and Sandy Police Department have established exchange zones to help people who need a safe place to make any kind of exchange.
Summit County Sheriff Justin Martinez said many situations call for a neutral place where people can conduct business and feel safe.
“It can be used for anything that anyone needs to exchange, such as items bought and sold online or even for custody issues and the need to pass kids from one parent to the other,” Martinez said.
“We wanted people to have a place they can go where they will feel safe. Most people won’t do anything illegal if they know they are being recorded.”
Martinez said his department got the idea from a conference.
The exchange zone is in the Summit County Sheriff’s Office parking lot, and is clearly marked with blue striping and signs that explain the zone’s purpose.
Martinez also said if a situation is serious and would benefit from a deputy’s presence, one can come out to the zone.
Deputies aren’t needed for simple exchanges, Martinez said, but parents involved in tension-filled custody exchanges might feel safer with a deputy present.
Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger said his department has a designated e-commerce exchange zone that people can use for delivering purchased goods, or for any purpose where a safe exchange is preferred.
“It has been in place a little over a year, and seems to be working well,” Carriger said.
Sandy is one of the first cities in Utah to establish a safe zone. In Utah County, the Spanish Fork and Orem Police departments have zones.
Exchange zones can be used by anyone, including people who live outside of the cities. The zones are all well-lit and under recorded surveillance 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
As Martinez and Carriger said, criminals who want to rip people off aren’t going to try it right outside a law enforcement agency, and former spouses with anger issues and the need for custody exchanges aren’t going to stage battles with cameras looking on or deputies nearby — which makes safe zones a win-win for everyone.
