Looking to buy and sell on Craigslist, but worried about getting robbed during the meetup?

Buying or Selling on Craigslist? D.C. Police Have Set Up 'Exchange Zones' For You

C police are inviting you to make your transaction under their watchful eye. The Metropolitan Police Department announced in a statement today that the Chief Cathy Lanier has decided to designate three "exchange zones" -- areas that "serve as a safe place for residents and visitors to exchange and complete craigslist of online purchases," according to the statement. That's why the District is following suit with police departments around the country and designating exchange zones -- they've been getting reports of this kind go here criminal activity as well and want to tackle the problem.

The exchange zone hopefully will deter a lot of these robberies by providing a well-lit area near a police station that is also monitored, "giving Washingtonians a safe place to purchase or exchange property," Lanier said in the statement. There's more you can do to protect yourself. Police advise you to never meet with anyone alone, never list personal contact information like your home address or phone number and never meet at night. Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports patch. Police Have Set Up 'Exchange Zones' For You Police have set up three exchange zones throughout the city and people who want a safe place to do business.

Dan TaylorPatch Staff. Posted Thu, Apr 21, at pm ET. Find out what's happening in Washington DC with free, real-time updates from Patch. Thank Share.