Bryan police officer Kelley McKethan visits with WTAW’s Bill Oliver about the department’s new exchange zone parking area and BPD’s upcoming junior police academy.
More about the BPD exchange zone from Bryan police:
On April 28, 2017 the Bryan Police Department’s exchange zone was activated. The Exchange Zone is intended to address the safety concerns brought about with on-line purchases from websites such as Craigslist, eBay, Facebook groups, classified ads, and other sources, as well as to provide a location for families with visitation rights to make custodial exchanges. While many of these websites are heavily utilized and credible, their popularity makes buyers and sellers an easy target for criminal activity from online predators.
In order to provide a “meet and exchange” location, the Bryan Police Department has dedicated a space in the Bryan Municipal Court parking lot located at 401 S. Tabor in Bryan, Texas next to the Bryan Police Department. The exchange zone is available to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Over the past year Bryan Police Department has been working on upgrading their camera systems so this area could have 24 hour video surveillance.
The Exchange Zone may not be used for illegal transactions of narcotics, dangerous or deadly weapons, or any other dangerous materials. In addition, Bryan Police Department employees will not act as witness or be a part of any transactions nor will we validate the legitimacy of any transaction, item for sale, or integrity or legality of a sale. The Bryan Police Department is not responsible for liability arising out of property transactions or custody exchanges. We are simply providing a location to conduct business where citizens can feel safe knowing that there is video record of the transaction.
The Bryan Police Department advises that anyone intending to buy or sell an item should never provide personal or financial information to anyone you’re meeting. When taking photos of items you are selling disable your location services on your mobile devices and be aware of the background in the photos. You don’t want to inadvertently reveal personal information or locations that would make you a target to predators.
The City of Bryan and the Bryan Police Department hope that this designated Exchange Zone makes our citizens feel more comfortable conducting a private property business transaction.