What to know
- Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw has announced plans to introduce designated buy-and-sell exchange zones at police stations across the city.
- The camera-monitored locations will give residents a safer place to meet when completing transactions arranged through online marketplaces.
- The initiative comes amid an increase in robberies, thefts and fraud connected to online buying and selling, according to police.
- Toronto Police will also organize community walks during Crime Prevention Week to share safety information and hear concerns from residents and local businesses.
As Toronto Police launches Crime Prevention Week, the service is announcing plans to introduce designated buy-and-sell exchange zones across the city to help prevent thefts and robberies during in-person transactions arranged online.
During a news conference Monday, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw made the announcement alongside Mayor Olivia Chow, saying the service has seen an increase in robberies, thefts and fraud connected to online buying and selling transactions.
To help prevent these crimes, buy-and-sell exchange zones will soon be established across the city, providing designated locations where buyers and sellers can safely complete in-person transactions, according to Demkiw.
“Our police stations will provide marked locations, they’ll be covered by cameras, which will add a level of safety and deterrence,” Demkiw said.
The police chief said officers will not be directly involved in the transactions. Rather, the designated zones are intended to provide an additional layer of safety for residents.
Demkiw said more information about the buy-and-sell exchange zones will be provided by the end of the year.
The initiative follows similar measures introduced in other jurisdictions, including Peel Region, which has five buy-and-sell exchange zones across the region, with three in Mississauga and two in Brampton.
Demkiw says the zones will become available to the public by the end of the year, but did not say where they will be located across Toronto.
In addition to the announcement, Demkiw said Toronto Police will organize community walks in collaboration with police divisions across the city.
The walks are intended to provide residents with crime prevention information and give officers an opportunity to speak directly with members of the community.
“Our officers will engage with communities and hear concerns directly from residents, businesses, local BIAs, and community leaders,” he said.
Demkiw encouraged residents to contact their local police division for information about upcoming community walks and where they will take place.
Chow welcomed both initiatives and officially proclaimed Nov. 1 to 7 as Crime Prevention Week in the City of Toronto.
“Together let’s continue to build a more caring, more affordable, and safer city,” Chow said.
