The deaths of Bud and June Runion hit too close to home for many people. The Cobb County husband and wife could have been anyone’s parents, neighbors or friends, eager to purchase a dream car.
Now, their deaths allegedly over a Craigslist ad have prompted metro Atlanta police agencies to remind residents how to safely buy and sell with strangers. The easiest tip: Meet at a local police agency.
“Even though this is something we’ve been doing for a while, we wanted to get the word out,” Smyrna police Officer Christopher Graeff said Thursday. “We have child swaps in the parking lot all the time, but wanted people to know it can be used for something as simple as selling a cell phone.”
Smyrna police are calling it “Operation Safe Sale” in an effort to spread the word, and other metro agencies are reminding citizens of the same tips, using Facebook as one way to inform people.
Police departments are public property and an ideal place to arrange a meeting between a buyer and seller, Officer Scott Luther with Kennesaw police said. If you’re planning to meet someone at a halfway point, make the nearest police agency the destination, Luther said. Call ahead of time to let an officer know about the plan. And if you’re purchasing a vehicle, have an officer run the VIN number to make sure it’s not stolen, Luther said.
“Be vigilant, and be aware of what people are doing,” Luther said.
Planning is important to insure safe transactions, according to police. Meet during the day, don’t go alone and be wary of buyers or sellers who don’t want to meet in public places.
“If they don’t want to meet you here, that should be a red flag indicating that you do not want to conduct business with that person,” Roswell police posted on the department’s Facebook page.
Check with police agencies ahead of time to make sure that particular agency is on-board with your plans.
Banks are good meeting spots, too, particularly if it’s a high-priced purchase, like a car. Then, if you decide to purchase the vehicle, you’re at the right place to go inside to get the money, Luther said.
— Staff writer David Gibson contributed to this article.
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