HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Got anything laying around the house you're looking to sell? Or, maybe you're looking to buy local?
Well, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is now making both those options safer for people in the Tampa area.
The agency has agreed to a new partnership with OfferUp, a mobile app that helps consumers buy and sell locally, that turns their various locations into internet purchase exchange spots.
To ensure safety measures when buyers or sellers are making an exchange, deputies say they have set up signage and video cameras at each of their district offices.
Here are the five locations you can go to to take part in an OfferUp:
District I office: 14102 N. 20th Street, Tampa, FL 33613
District II office: 2310 N. Falkenburg Road, Tampa, FL 33619
District III office: 7202 Gunn Highway, Tampa, FL 33625
District IV office: 508 33rd Street SE, Ruskin, FL 33570
District V office: 10128 Windhorst Road, Tampa, FL 33619
To pick which sheriff's office location you'd like to go to, you can go to the OfferUp app and select the location icon at the bottom of the message thread between you and your buyer or seller. That will take you to the "Suggest MeetUp Spot" page where you can either select your current location or the item's location to see which location is most convenient.
"Your Sheriff's Office is always looking for innovative ways to meet the needs of our community, one of which is safety and security during online transactions," said Sheriff Chad Chronister, in a statement. "Each district office is already designated as a Safe Space, and this new designation with OfferUp emphasizes our commitment to our residents."
James Helm started RUNTHEBLOCK38 a few years ago, a social media page dedicated to selling shoes online.
"if you’re going to tell me I’m going to meet you somewhere and I’m on the way and you’re like hey meet me somewhere else. It’s a little bit of a red flag," Helm said.
Helm says the sneaker industry is pricey and competitive, which is why he tries to avoid bad situations and prioritizes safety. He says he prefers making exchanges during the day and utilizing law enforcement parking lots for sales.
"From a reseller’s standpoint that’s something that I assumed would be okay to do. I think it’s a cool thing for us because it gives us safety measures you know we’re on our own," Helm said.