Wake Forest Police join effort to cut down on Craigslist crimes
WAKE FOREST, N.C. (WTVD) -- The headline is all too familiar.
Sometimes a Craigslist transaction ends with a dreaded call from your bank, like this local man.
Sometimes, a bounced check is the least of one's worries. Warning about Craigslist-related robberies have been coming out of Cumberland County for years.
In a more serious case, a local teen was murdered after an interaction on Craigslist. See his story here.
These are the types of experiences local law enforcement hopes will decrease because of a new initiative that centers Craigslist transactions around police headquarters.
On Tuesday, Wake Forest Police will launch "Operation Safe Sale." The initiative is a part of a growing national trend, with police offering their presence to ensure safe transactions between Craigslist buyers and sellers.
"They can either come to the police department and conduct the transaction in the parking lot, or they can conduct the transaction inside the police department lobby," explained Bill Crabtree, a spokesman with WFPD.
Crabtree said the department will also run serial numbers on the items you plan to purchase from a Craigslist seller.
"(It's) to make sure they don't show up in any state of national databases as being stolen," Crabtree said.
Finally, the department will also offer a third party presence for the transaction. Crabtree said as long as the department is given a day's notice, an officer can be on hand to witness the Craigslist transaction.
The Wake Forest Police Department is located at 225 South Taylor St. You may schedule an officer to be present during your transaction by calling (919) 554-6150.
