Brittany Kelley
BUDA — Residents of Buda now have a location to conduct trades, due to a new Safe Exchange Zone at the Buda Police Department.
The project comes after resident Courtney Lester saw a post on Instagram displaying one in Round Rock and she was hoping one would be brought to Buda.
“I thought, ‘Oh my gosh. That’s such a good idea.’ And I didn’t know if our Buda Police Department offered that, so I sent them a message on Instagram and [BPD public information officer Matt] Schima reached out,” said Lester.
A Safe Exchange Zone is a designated public spot, where exchanges, such as child custody swaps, Facebook Marketplace purchases and more, can occur within a surveilled area.
“It’s very new [and] I’m not aware of anywhere else in the county that has one,” said Schima, who was familiar with the program, but wasn’t currently working on implementation within the city. “It is just to provide a sense of safety and security for those that want it, even those that are coming from outside of the city to meet in a mutual spot.”
Within weeks of Lester reaching out, the department had the location set up.
“Honestly, I’m quite shocked at how quickly they responded,” she said, “I was just shocked that not only did he get it done so quickly, but that he actually took the time to reach out to me and let me know that it had been done. I’m just really impressed by the police department.”
The zone is located directly outside of the Buda Police Department station at 405 E. Loop St. in a parking lot. The spot was determined after officers tested which area would provide 24/7 video recording, light and optimal response time, if needed.
Although the idea may seem trivial to some, Schima emphasized the importance of safety when meeting up with strangers.
“Too often, people may meet at their house or their front door and we don’t want anything bad to happen,” explained the officer. “People can not have to worry about, ‘Is that person going to come back to my house?’”
“You [also] never know who you’re going to meet today. You can say, ‘Well, I’m armed’ or ‘I’m strong’ or ‘I’m a jiu jitsu master,’ but you just don’t know if it’s just the person that you actually met online or if it’s multiple people that could be coming,” he said.
Lester stated that this is exactly why she requested the zone, sharing that she is a new mother and often shops on Facebook Marketplace, so having a safe location to meet, knowing her child is in the backseat, was important.
“We pride ourselves on being community oriented and building those strong partnerships with the community and this is yet another example, where we can partner with the community and provide a service,” Schima said.
In the future, the officer shared that the department would be open to creating more locations throughout the city.
BPD noted that those who use the program are still encouraged to practice crime prevention tips, such as bringing a friend, having a phone and being vigilant about surroundings. In case of emergencies, call 911.
