Another county offers safe zones for online purchases

Authorities in another metro Atlanta county are hoping newly established safe zones will help people securely exchange goods with buyers and sellers they meet online.

The so-called public trans- action zones are located at multiple Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office precincts. They are marked, well-lit and monitored by video, according to the agency.

The zones are intended meet-up locations for those using online marketplace apps and websites like Craigslist and Facebook.

“So many people are buying and selling things over the internet with complete strangers these days,” Sheriff Frank Reynolds said Monday in a statement. “We felt these public transaction loca- tions would give citizens a stronger sense of security.”

Seven precincts around the county are participating, including the Bridgemill Precinct on Bells Ferry Road in Canton, the Free Home Precinct on Freehome Highway in Canton, the Hickory Flat Precinct on Vaughn Road in Canton, the Oak Grove Precinct on Ridge Mill Court in Acworth, the Waleska Precinct on Fincher Road in Waleska, the Traffic Enforce- ment Precinct on Evenflo Drive in Ball Ground and the South Annex on Main Street in Woodstock.

Following the 2014 death of Daniel John Zeitz and the 2015 slayings of Marietta couple Bud and June Runion as well as Clark Atlanta University student James Earl Jones Jr., many metro Atlanta agen- cies started designating safe spaces to meet.