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They’ve begun popping up across the province, with one London-area police force now joining the trend.

St. Thomas police have recently set up a new “safe internet exchange zone” outside its headquarters, a space meant to give people buying or selling products online a secure location to complete transactions.

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“A lot of savvy buyers and sellers already use public places to make their exchanges, so we are just offering another one in our new building,” said Tanya Calvert, St. Thomas police spokesperson.

Besides the obvious benefit of being next to a building filled with police officers, the designated area – two parking spaces outside the police station – is also monitored by security cameras.

Calvert said the site wasn’t set up as a response to an increase in e-commerce crimes in the city. Instead, it’s meant to be a new option for people looking for a safe place to sell their goods.

Several police forces in Ontario, including in Mississauga, Kingston and Brockville, have set up similar zones.