“Having a safe place to make the exchange can make a difference,” Jones said in the news release.
There have been several cases where people were robbed and assaulted while completing purchases.
In May, a teen thought he was meeting someone to buy video games, according to the sheriff's office.. He had set up the transaction through Craigslist and agreed to meet at Heritage Elementary in Liberty Twp. for the exchange.
“When he got there, Logan Jatzek, Randy Ehrhardt, both 18, and a 17-year-old juvenile assaulted and robbed him. They were arrested a short time later, but these types of transactions have a lot of potential for a crime to take place, and they certainly have. People have lost their lives over a few dollars and if I can lessen any chance for someone to get injured, I’m going to do just that,” said Jones.
Jatzek and Ehrhardt were both placed on five years of community control last year. Jatzek pleaded guilty to complicity to robbery and Ehrhardt pleaded guilty to robbery, according to court records.
Beginning Feb. 1, the exchange will be in the main lobby of the Butler County Jail. Exchanges can take place 7 days a week between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. The sheriff is also considering designated marked parking spaces in the front lot designated with signs for exchanges for those not wanting to use the lobby.
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