OC Sheriff’s Office announces Safe Exchange Locations

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office along with all five municipal police departments in Oconee County (Salem, Seneca, Walhalla, Westminster and West Union) will allow their parking lot facilities to be used as locations to finish conducting transactions that private parties make over the internet. “With the proliferation of the sale of items and merchandise over the internet as well as continued reports of fraud and abuse and even death and injury resulting from these transactions, the parking lot facilities in the front of the Sheriff’s Office as well as the parking lot facilities of the five municipal police departments in Oconee County will be available for individuals to conduct business in regards of the final exchange of merchandise and items and/or money,” says Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw. The parking lots of the law enforcement buildings will be available during daylight hours only, seven days a week and transactions between private parties will not be monitored by law enforcement officers from any of the agencies in the county. The Sheriff’s Office address is 300 South Church Street in Walhalla. “The Sheriff’s Office and the police departments in Oconee County recommend that you conduct the transaction portions of your internet business dealings in the parking lot areas,” says Sheriff Crenshaw. If any criminal activity does occur, charges will be brought by the corresponding agency where the offense occurs. Also, if someone refuses to meet you in the parking lots, that could be red flag that the transaction could be fraudulent, so keep that in mind.” Law enforcement parking lots are considered public facilities and are used in many cases for picking up and dropping off children between parents and guardians regarding child visitation rights.