GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — At a press conference on Friday, Grand Prairie Police Chief Steve Dye announced a partnership with Washington-based startup OfferUp on the development of new technology that will give residents and commuters safe place information to purchase or exchange goods through the Peer-to-Peer app. The department is currently working with other peer-to-peer sell services to offer safe exchange place information of their apps.
Hundreds of thousands of online transactions occur in the Dallas/ Fort Worth Metroplex every month, and while the vast majority of the face-to-face transaction sales are safe, the installation of this technology, in conjunction with Grand Prairie Police Department’s “Safe Exchange Zones,” will enhance the protection of the consumers during the transaction.
Chief Dye said in Grand Prairie last year there were thirteen robberies associated with face-to-face transactions. He noted that six of these case were solved.
Chief Dye commended Criminal Intelligence Supervisor Sgt. Nick Daugherty for his work in identifying the problem of locating safe exchange zones and working with sales services to develop a solution to add the information to their app.
In addition, the Grand Prairie Police Department has increased our exchange zone locations from one to three, giving residents and commuters more options and they are now conveniently located in South, Central and North Grand Prairie. These locations in Grand Prairie are easily accessible, well-lit and monitored 24/7.
Safe Exchange Zones in Grand Prairie:
- Public Safety Building – 1525 Arkansas Lane
- Police Substation – 5610 Lake Ridge
- Police Training Center – 310 College Street
About OfferUp’s MeetUp Spot Program
OfferUp is the largest and fastest growing mobile marketplace for buyers and sellers in the country. With millions of users using our app to buy and sell every day, the safety of our community is a top priority. We are committed to exploring new ways to ensure buyers and sellers have a successful experience. That’s why we’re excited to announce our new MeetUp Spot program: we will fund the installation of a designated MeetUp Spot at any qualifying police station in the US that wants to participate.