SAN FRANCISCO — In a push to implement safe online shopping and prevent Craigslist deals from going bad, U.S. police stations have instituted safe exchange zones, the Washington Post reported.

Safety has long been a concern for online buyers and sellers. Last year Law Street Media linked 45 murder to Craigslist postings between 2009 and 2014.

In order to offer safe spaces for buyers and sellers, police have set up safe exchange zones in the parking lots of well-lit police stations. According to the Washington Post, the idea seem to have started in Boca Raton, before spreading elsewhere in the U.S. Fairfax City and Leesburg, Virginia are the latest cities to establish safe zones.

Officers would not generally get involved, but surveillance cameras would record the meetings. In smaller police stations however, an officer might go outside and meet the buyer and the seller to provide reassurance. Alternatively, exchanges can take place in a police station lobby.

"Policing is not about law enforcement completely. It's about providing quality-of-life-based services to our residents and business owners," Chief Carl Pardiny in Fairfax City told the Washington Post.

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