Purchases made online can sometimes be a dicey proposition. When it comes time to meet an unknown buyer or seller to exchange an item for money, it’s best to do so in a safe environment.

So the Sully District Police Station has just established Fairfax County’s first-ever Exchange Zone, right in its parking lot. Two parking spaces marked with “Exchange Zone” signs are now in front of the station and under 24-hour surveillance.

“My dad’s a police chief outside Pittsburgh and they do this there,” said PFC Tara Gerhard. “The community loves it, so we took the idea from him. It’s also an opportunity for the police to make the community feel safe, and it builds good relationships between them.”

The Exchange Zone was officially dedicated on Monday, June 27, and Supervisor Kathy Smith (D-Sully) was on hand for the ceremony, as was Lt. Matt Owens, the station’s assistant commander/acting commander.

“I’m happy they were pro-active about it here,” said Smith. “It’s a great resource for the community and creates safety for them when they do exchanges with people they don’t know.”

Besides that, said Gerhard, “It’s also an opportunity for families with child-custody arrangements to exchange children, if the situation between them isn’t good. People behave better if they know they’re under video surveillance.”

Often, items purchased on Craigslist, for example, require a face-to-face interaction for the exchange, and meeting with a stranger can put consumers in a vulnerable position and create opportunities for criminals. Things don’t always go smoothly and, throughout the year, police respond to numerous reports of robberies, thefts and assaults.

Many times, people who just wanted to get a good deal on an item they’d hoped to buy become unsuspecting victims of crimes. In Mount Vernon, “There were lots of robberies and larcenies of cell phones during exchanges. So that made us endorse this idea even more.”

And Owens couldn’t be happier to have the Exchange Zone right smack in front of the police station. “We’re very pleased to offer this to the public,” he said. “It enables them to make business transactions that began over the Internet in a safe place. As opposed to bringing a complete stranger into their home or meeting them in an unfamiliar location, here the exchange is being captured on video.”

“And it’s a good lead for officers to use, should anything go wrong,” he continued. “If people are here using the Exchange Zone and an emergency occurs, they can call 911 so an officer can respond. Or if they prefer, they may come inside the building and make a report or ask to speak to an officer. Even if they just have a feeling that something isn’t right, they’re welcome to come inside the station.”