E-commerce safe zone set up at Washoe County Sheriff's Office

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office now has a designated E-commerce Exchange Zone for members of the public looking for a safe, neutral location to complete online transactions.

Two parking spaces in front of the Sheriff’s headquarters at 911 Parr Boulevard in Reno are reserved specifically for e-commerce transactions. Those spaces are located near the front of the parking lot, in a well-lit area subject to 24-hour video surveillance.

The Nevada Legislature passed a bill originally sponsored by Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui during this year’s legislative session requiring certain local governments to establish e-commerce exchange zones as a way to increase safety for people meeting with strangers in order to complete transactions that begin on the Internet.

The primary purpose of the Sheriff’s E-commerce Exchange Zone is to help reduce the potential for criminal activity related to online transactions. Handling a transaction locally and face-to-face also decreases opportunities for scams.