Plano Interim Police Chief Lt. Jonathan Whowell said that the city has officially launched its Safe Exchange Zone Program to give residents a safe place to have transactions.
Signs will be erected at the parking lot of the Plano Police Department at James and Main streets designating its as the official safe zone. The area offers a safe location for all citizens to use between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. any day of the week and remains under constant video surveillance, he said.
The idea of the zone is to provide a supervised, safe place for exchange of children in child custody cases or a meeting place for transactions involving money or merchandise in the case of private sales on internet sites like Craigslist or eBay.
Whowell said that the Plano Police Department will remain neutral during these exchanges and will not get involved in any civil litigation. Residents are encouraged to call 911 if they feel unsafe during any such transactions, he said.
Susan Thanepohn is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News
