GROVES — Monday afternoon, the Groves Police Department announced via Facebook the beginning of a "Safe Exchange Zone."
A marked sign in front of the police department designates an area for people to safely exchange items bought online as well as custody of children.
"This day and time, sometimes you need to have a little protection," says Groves resident Alma Cantu. "This being offered by the city is great."
Two cameras outside of the building will monitor the spot 24/7 and can be used by anybody, even people who live outside of Groves.
Although a street light along West Washington Street provides some visibility to the exchange zone, Groves city marshal Norman Reynolds encourages people to use the location during the day.
He adds that anybody using this new safety feature should stay in the three parking spots near the sign which is the the primary area of surveillance.
Reynolds says "I thought it would be an inexpensive way to do something for the citizens and make them feel safe when they do have an exchange or a child custody exchange."
The police department's Facebook post got a lot of attention in 24 hours, with more than 2,000 shares.
Reynolds says he's excited about all of the interest.
"I was pretty surprised that it went over so well," says Reynolds. "I'm pleased with that and hopefully it well serve our community well."
A second sign sits in his office, anticipating the need for more space with so much praise for the zone already.
Groves PD has allowed parents to exchange custody of their children at the department for awhile, but never had a designated location that could be monitored.
With more and more people selling things online and then meeting up in public to make the transfer of an item, Reynolds decided to provide a sense of security for anybody making a public exchange.
Groves resident Ashley Keese says "It's actually easier for me to explain where we're going instead of trying to pick a specific location in a different city because this gives people one place to go."
Last week, a young couple from Nederland was robbed at gunpoint while selling an Xbox near the Old Fairgrounds in Beaumont.
Police say stories like that prove there's a need for these zones.
Some people in Groves already plan to use the safe exchange zone.
"I will be using it," says Groves resident Ashley Keese. "It's a good place to go for me to do it and it's a good place for everybody else to go."
Reynolds tells 12News although safety exchange zones can be found across the country, he hasn't heard of any other agencies in Southeast Texas having one.
"It's good to know that there is something like this available," says Cantu. "This is the first city if I'm not mistaken, so this is really new and I think it's wonderful."