Athens Police establish ‘exchange zone’ under 24-hour surveillance

ATHENS, Ala. (WHNT) — The Athens Police Department (APD) says the growing number of e-commerce transactions caused it to establish a zone in its parking lot for safe exchanges.

The zone is located at the APD facility on Hobbs Street.

The department said the ‘Exchange Zone’ includes two marked areas for people who need to exchange custody of children or exchange property, including Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace sales. It also has two surveillance cameras for recording.

“This is a safer option for those who have custody exchanges of children and for those who have concerns about buying or selling property online and meeting with a stranger to make the exchange,” Athens Police Chief Anthony Pressnell said.

Chief Pressnell also thanked the city’s Public Works and its Street Department for assisting with the setup of the area.

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