Shelby Shopper Shelby NC
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Our 33rd Year • Issue No. 31 • August 4, 2016 704-484-1047 www.shelbyinfo.com Free Free "We are thankful for our readers!" Celebration of Champions Wednesday,, August 10,, 2016 $25 General admission tickets TICKETS ON SALE NOW! www.Americanlegionworldseries.com Scotty Mcreery Caroline allen Anyone buying or selling anything online or via newspaper ads these days knows that it can sometimes be tricky to arrange a safe meeting place. It was for exactly this rea- son that the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office recently established an "Exchange Zone" so that those involved in such sales can meet in an area monitored by video sur- veillance. "I saw this idea at a conference and thought that it was a good idea for our area," says Sheriff Norman. Sheriff Norman says he quickly found two parking places on the upper deck of the Cleveland County Courthouse that were already covered by two surveillance cameras. "We had always warned people who were meeting with someone they didn't know to be sure to meet in a public place, but now this gives a new added layer of protection," adds Sheriff Norman. Exchange zones such as the one in Cleveland County have become popular throughout the country in the past couple of years. It appears to have started in Boca Raton, FL, in 2014 after a string of robberies took place involving people who were meet- ing to buy or sell a phone or computer. Most met in public places, but the victims were still robbed, according to Boca Raton Officer Sandra Boonenberg. "We decided we were going to have to come up with something better, and the chief (Daniel C. Alexander) came up with the idea to use the police department for transactions," Boonenberg was quoted as say- ing in a Washington Post article last year. Since that time, the idea has spread rapidly through the law enforcement grapevine. In Cleveland County, as in most areas, officers do not active- ly monitor transactions. But just knowing that the cameras are roll- ing can give buyers and sellers a sense of security, Sheriff Norman says. "People have been using courthouse parking lots for years for custody swaps between divorced parents," Sheriff Norman says. "This area can be used for any situation where people are wor- ried or afraid and would be more comfortable with having video surveillance." So far, reaction to the Cleveland County Exchange Zone has been entirely positive, Sheriff Norman says. "When we put the announcement up on Facebook we had a lot of 'likes' and supportive comments." Sheriff Norman says that no one has need- ed to use the recorded surveillance videos yet. "But they are there if they are needed," he says. The Exchange Zone is located on the top deck of the parking lot of the Cleveland County Courthouse, 100 Justice Place, Shelby. ABOVE: Cleveland County residents who buy or sell items online now have a safe place to meet to complete their transactions, thanks to the county's new Exchange Zone. BELOW: Three members of the Cleveland County Sheriff's Department stand in the area designated as a safe meeting zone for online transactions, child custody transfers, or any other meeting where those involved feel safer with video surveillance. Two cameras monitor the area. Online transactions safer in 'Exchange Zone' See ad on page 19 VFW Post 4066 & Deer Brook INAUGURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT LAW ENFORCEMENT GOLF GOLF TOURNAMENT TOURNAMENT Friday, Sept. 23, 2016