Internet Purchase Exchange Zone

LaSalle Police Service

1880 Normandy Street,

LaSalle, ON

N9H 1P8

519-969-5210 ext. 300

In the case of an emergency, please call 9-1-1

An Internet Purchase Exchange Zone has been created in the LaSalle Police Service visitor parking lot at 1880 Normandy Street, LaSalle.   While we have always welcomed the public to use our lot for exchanges, we have added signage to notify the public of its availability and location as a safer option to meet for their transactions.  All areas of this lot are recorded on video surveillance at all times. 

Goal:

The Exchange Zone aims to increase safety by providing a visible, public space near a police facility and to provide some additional peace of mind to those who are buying, selling or trading property or goods. 

If you are meeting people while finalizing online transactions, we encourage you to use our Exchange Zone.

If you are unable to meet at our Exchange Zone, insist on completing your transactions in well-lit, public, and popular locations, preferably where other members of the public are present, to avoid becoming a victim of crime.

Police Role:

Please be aware that there will be no police involvement in these exchanges, nor will we mediate, document, or be a witness to private transactions. Officers will only intervene if requested or if the transaction becomes a criminal matter.

Police cannot use the Police computer system to run model numbers, serial numbers, etc. of items that are part of a private exchange unless there is an investigation initiated into a criminal matter.

For officer and public safety please do not bring any firearms or weapons into the lobby of the Police station.

Tips to protect yourself during a buy and sell exchange:

• Trust your instincts. Stop. Pause. Think. If something seems too good to be true, it likely is.
• Limit the amount of personal information you provide, including where you live or work.
• Take your cell phone with you.
• Complete your transaction during daytime hours.
• Do not carry large sums of cash.
• Don’t go alone. Use the buddy system when possible. Bring a family or friend with you, or at the very least, let someone know who you will be meeting, the time, and the location of the exchange.
• Be cautious when buying/selling high-value items.
• Where possible communicate via email so that a record is kept.
• To reduce the potential of falling victim to fraud, never complete a buy-and-sell transaction by mail.
• When meeting in person, always inspect the goods you wish to purchase before giving money to the seller.

To ensure that you are not buying stolen goods, purchasers are encouraged to use the Canadian Police Information Centre’s online database (www.cpic-cipc.ca) to search the serial number of the item they are looking to purchase.  This is a free service that is available to the public.