The Metropolitan Police Department would like to remind the public of our Exchange Zones and encourage exchanges to take place at the designated locations.
In April 2016, MPD designated three Exchange Zone areas to combat the increase of robberies stemming from online platforms. These designated areas serve as a safe place for residents and visitors to exchange and complete transactions of online purchases. In several cases, individuals in the District have been targeted after using mobile marketplace applications to buy or sell items. Afterwards, when the victim arrives, a pre-staged robbery occurs.
MPD strongly encourages the public to make use of the exchange zones and be especially wary of meeting people who refuse to meet at a Safe Exchange Zone location.
As a reminder, the Safe Exchange Zone designated locations are:
- Special Operations Division’s Harbor Patrol/ 550 Water Street, Southwest
- Third District/ 1620 V Street, Northwest
- Sixth District/ 5002 Hayes Street, Northeast
MPD would also like to remind the public of these safety tips when selling or purchasing items from strangers:
- Never meet anyone alone
- Never list your home address, phone number, or any other identifiable information
- Never meet at night
MPD will continue to focus significant resources on reducing robberies across the city. If you have any information related to a robbery or would like to submit information, you can anonymously text us at 50411 or call 202-727-9099.
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