Spirit Lake Police joins Safe Trade initiative

SPIRIT LAKE — The Spirit Lake Police Department has joined the Safe Trade initiative for safer completion of online transactions.

Safe Trade is a simple national safety initiative for police and sheriff’s departments to encourage transactions at their facilities, for classified sites to strengthen their safety and security initiatives, and for users to insist on "Safe Trade" by conducting all transactions at local law enforcement offices.

"While online buying and selling sites are a great resource and highly popular, people are still taking on an incredible risk when they meet face to face at an undisclosed location or at a stranger’s home to exchange goods and money," said Spirit Lake Police Chief Dennis Sanchez.

"Our department has 24-hour video surveillance around our building which will help deter crime and promote the safety of our citizens. People do not need an officer present to facilitate these exchanges and are free to use our campus anytime, but we suggest doing transactions during daylight hours for safety."

Some other area law enforcement agencies, including Post Falls Police, already offer a similar setting.

Legal gun transactions are also permitted, but police advise that a department supervisor should be notified prior to any exchanges taking place to avoid issues or confusion.

Spirit Lake Police offers street-side parking along Maine Street where citizens are welcome to park and use the sidewalk area in front of the building for face-to-face meetings.

"By offering people a safe place to make exchanges, we are working further toward our mission of proactively being involved in our community and keeping it safe," Sanchez said.

More information about Safe Trade, as well as additional tips for conducting safe exchanges can be found at: www.safetradestations.com