Montreal police offer safe meeting spots for online sales
Posted January 10, 2026 1:35 pm.
Last Updated January 10, 2026 4:23 pm.
Have you ever wanted to buy or sell an item online, but felt uneasy about meeting a stranger or sharing your home address? Montreal police say there’s a safer alternative.
Montreal Police (SPVM) are reminding residents about its secure exchange zones — designated meeting areas at police stations designed to make in-person transactions from platforms like Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace safer and more comfortable.
According to SPVM spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant, the initiative has been in place for several years and was created in response to the growing popularity of online marketplaces.
“It’s been a couple of years that we have safe zones to exchange any goods that you’re selling or buying. We have 18 police stations that have those safe zones,” Brabant said.
A safer way to meet
The secure exchange zones are located at or near SPVM police stations and are monitored by security cameras 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Police say the locations provide a neutral environment where buyers and sellers can meet without fear.
“They’re under surveillance 24-7 so it’s pretty secure for people that are selling or buying goods to meet up with the people at that place,” Brabant explained. “A little bit safer if you’re either the buyer or the seller if you’re comfortable, you don’t know the person.”
Brabant added that the proximity to a police station offers an added layer of protection if a situation becomes uncomfortable.
“If anything or you don’t feel comfortable there’s always the police station. You can go at the door [and] ask a police officer for help if anything happens.”
He also noted that suggesting a secure exchange zone can deter people with bad intentions.
“If you’re telling them that you want to go to the safe zone and if they’re ill intended maybe they’ll maybe change their prospect or their aspect of selling.”
Real experiences highlight the need
For many Montrealers, online selling can be more complicated than just arranging a meeting. Sarah Ann Drouin-Penney, a Montrealer and longtime Facebook Marketplace user, has been selling everything from cat toys to clothing for five or six years. Even with precautions, she has faced uncomfortable or predatory behavior.
“I met up with somebody to sell my jacket. It was a winter jacket, and we met up at a metro station, and during the whole transaction, he was just kind of staring at me, and like, gave me the money, and didn’t want to try on the jacket, didn’t really, he just was kind of like, I don’t know, a bit fixated, again, not to like, toot my own horn or anything, it was just a bit of a creepy interaction. And then when we both went our own ways back to, on the metro, I guess as soon as I was walking down the stairs, he sent me messages saying, ‘you are more incredible than I could have ever imagined’, ‘I want to, keep contact with you’, and things like that, so there’s been a lot of, kind of predatory people online,” she explained.
Experiences like that have made her cautious.
“It’s been a whirlwind trying to sell things, to the point where I kind of recklessly used to give away my address, but now like, I refuse to give my home address anymore.”
For sellers like Drouin-Penney, the SPVM secure exchange zones offer a safer alternative.
“I think it would definitely be beneficial,” she said. “If there would be like a safe zone, if you will, close to my place, absolutely. However, if it’s too out of the way, then that wouldn’t necessarily work for me.”
She’s enthusiastic about using the zones herself. “I think that it’s a really good initiative, and I’m looking forward to start using those zones,” she said.
18 locations across the city
There are currently 18 secure exchange zones across Montreal, spread throughout multiple boroughs. Locations include Anjou, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Lachine, LaSalle, Montréal-Nord, the West Island, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, Saint-Laurent, Verdun, Ville-Marie, and Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension.
Brabant says residents can find the nearest secure exchange zone by checking the SPVM website.
“There’s 18 spots on the island where they’re all at the police station so you could always look with your police station on our website spvm.qc.ca where you can look at the information.”
Police say more locations could be added in the future, with the long-term goal of expanding the program citywide.
“Our goal is to have every police station to have access to those safe areas so we could serve the public in every bureau in Montreal,” Brabant said.
Encouraging safer online transactions
As online buying and selling continues to grow, police are encouraging Montrealers to avoid meeting at private homes or isolated locations.
Brabant says the secure exchange zones offer peace of mind for both parties.
“You’re never sure who you’re dealing with and at the other hand those exchange are pretty quick,” he said. “It’s a comfortable area, safe area under surveillance so if anything happens there’s always cameras.”
He also shared advice for anyone hesitant about meeting a stranger or making a purchase that seems suspicious.
“If it’s too good to be true maybe ask yourself if the price is not good enough or too low enough,” Brabant said, encouraging buyers to research prices and check profiles before meeting.
For high-value items like smartphones, he strongly recommends using the secure zones.
“We’ve been seeing a couple of events taking place where the cell phones are getting robbed or exchanges are not going as well as we want to be so those zones could help or discourage people to either have bad intentions or to fraud people.”
Partnership with Info-Crime Montréal
The secure exchange zones were created in partnership with Info-Crime Montréal, which continues to collaborate with police if incidents occur.
“We’ve been collaborating with Info-Crime Montréal for a number of years,” Brabant said. “If an event happens we’ll have surveillance cameras and plus we’ll have an investigation ongoing if a bad thing happened.”
Police say the program is already making a difference.
“We’re helping the population to have those safe spots to exchange and to be safer,” Brabant said. “Hopefully we could help the public exchange their goods in a safe area.”
Brabant also had one final piece of advice for buyers.
“Don’t pay before seeing the item in the first place… Make sure it’s in good condition and before paying make sure it works… to prevent fraud happening.”
