Is There a Safe Place to Meet to Buy Things From People Online in New Orleans?

New Orleans creates a safe space for public transactions.

I remember once I wanted to meet a man to make a trade for an item but I didn’t want him to come to my house and I didn’t want to go to his. I called the police station to see if we could make our trade there and they said No. I ended up having the meeting in a grocery store parking lot to make my exchange but I still felt uneasy about it.

Thankfully, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office has created two Safe Exchange Zones that are ideal for strangers who meet online make trades and purchase items.

These Safe Exchange Zones were inspired by the death of Joseph Vindel who shot and killed while attempting to sell a dirt bike. Bothe locations are under 24-hour surveillance yet officials encourage people to meet during the day to make their exchanges.

Safe Exchange Zones Locations

• The Eastbank zone is at the front of the Eastbank Operations Center, located at 3300 Metairie Road.
• The Westbank zone is in front of the Investigations Bureau, located at 725 Maple Avenue.