'Trade Zones' Officially in Place at Hamilton Police Station

Hamilton Police Chief Russ Stevens announced Tuesday that “trade zones” are now officially open in the parking lot at the Hamilton Police Station.

The trade zones are intended to provide a safe place for individuals to meet up and exchange money and goods related to transactions they’ve initiated online through commerce sites like eBay, Craigslist and others.

“There can be a lot of unease created over conducting an online transaction,” Stevens said in a statement. “Our hope is to provide a safe public meeting area that community members can conduct their transactions.”

In September, Stevens told selectmen that a camera system was already in place for the trade zone, which is located in front of the police station.

According to a statement released Tuesday, signage now marks the area, which is lit and video recorded.

“Basically, if you’re selling a product, Craigslist, Ebay, whatever, and someone wants to meet you, you would say... ’We’ll meet [at] the Hamilton Police Department. There’s a trade zone right there,’” Stevens explained to selectmen in September.

”Hopefully it’s a deterrent that if someone was going to rob you or take your wares, they wouldn’t want to do it in the police department parking lot.”