Lily Hay Newman reports at Future Tense that the police department in Columbia, Missouri, recently announced that its lobby will be open 24/7 for people making Craigslist transactions or any type of exchange facilitated by Internet services following a trend begun by police stations in Virginia Beach, East Chicago and Boca Raton. Internet listings like Craigslist are, of course, a quick and convenient way to buy, sell, barter, and generally deal with junk. But tales of Craigslist-related assaults, robberies, and murders where victims are lured to locations with the promise of a sale, aren’t uncommon, an item being sold could be broken or fake, and the money being used to buy it could be counterfeit. "Transactions should not be conducted in secluded parking lots, behind a building, in a dark location especially when you’re dealing with strangers. Someone you’ve never met before – you have no idea what their intentions are – whether they have evil intent or the best of intentions,” says Officer James Cason Jr. With surveillance cameras running 24 hours a day, plus the obvious bonus of a constant police presence, meeting in the lobby of the police department can help weed out people trying to rip others off. "People with stolen items may not want to meet at the police department," says Bryana Maupin.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 01 2015, @01:41AM
Victim-blaming is not acceptable.
The trained, armed and armored officer of the law valued his own safety over the life of a 17 year old girl. Nothing more. He made the decision to end her life instead of taking the risk of harm from a 17 year old girl that he was able to over power twice already.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 03 2015, @10:08PM
You're right. Victim blaming isn't acceptable.
And, in this case, the Police were the ones being threatened and therefore THEY are the victims.