Officials in a northwest Iowa County have designated a “safe zone” for people who want to complete an internet purchase or sale with a stranger. Kevin Wollmuth, the chief deputy sheriff in Osceola County, says his boss came up with the idea.
The designated zone is the parking lot outside the sheriff’s office, which is monitored by video cameras 24 hours a day and fully lit at night.
Wollmuth says the sheriff’s office in Sibley has been used by parents in child custody disputes, as they pick up or drop off children. Not only are Osceola County residents who use E-Bay or Craig’s List to buy and sell things to strangers being encouraged to use the sheriff’s office as a “safe zone” to complete the transaction, but officials say the parking lot and the sheriff’s office itself can be a meet-up spot for someone who’s used an internet dating site and is meeting a stranger for the first time.
