The Oakland Police Department is promoting its “Safe Exchange Zone” where people can meet to buy, sell or exchange goods with strangers.

The zone, located outside headquarters at 455 Seventh St., is intended as a way for people to feel confident that any buying or selling coordinated over the internet or other remote exchange can be carried out safely.

There are reports of people being robbed or worse in such situations, and according to Oakland Police Spokesperson Kim Armstead, if someone is not willing to meet you in front of a police station, that’s a red flag that you should avoid the interaction, because it is probably not a legitimate transaction.

In addition to being a safe place to conduct exchanges of goods, the designated green zone is also a place to make child custody or visitation exchanges.

The zones allow for 12-minute parking and are well-lit, with 24-hour surveillance, Armstead said.

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.