DCSO adds second ‘Blue Line Safety Zone,’ in Sisters
First exchange location was set up last fall in Bend; others are in the works
SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office is now offering the Blue Line Safety Zone in Sisters, a clearly marked and well-lit location to use for the various kinds of exchanges that occur every day in Central Oregon. It's the second one in the county, after one at the sheriff's office in Bend.
Examples of possible uses include child visitation exchanges and the legal buying and selling of merchandise from various online websites.
"By providing a location in the parking lot of the Sheriff’s Office substation in Sisters, we are hoping to deter those that would take advantage of or do harm to those in our community," Sgt. William Bailey said in a news release.
Sheriff Shane Nelson said, “Law enforcement is known as the Thin Blue Line, protecting our community by delivering superior public safety and service. Our office strives to be as proactive as we can be in delivering this service. The Sheriff's Blue Line Safety Zone provides a safer, video recorded public area for parent exchanges of children as well as in person transactions following online sales.”
This location is under 24-hour video surveillance and provides a safer location for members of our community to meet and exchange children or legally purchased merchandise.
"Our deputies won’t get involved in or directly monitor these transactions," Bailey said. "However, if the need arises, we would have video surveillance available to refer back to. Community members should call 911 from this location, should an emergency arise."
Meeting a person unknown to you to complete an online transaction comes with inherent risk, the sergeant noted. Community members should always use caution and choose a public location to complete any online transaction.
The first such Blue Line Safety Zone location, at the sheriff's office in Bend, was established in July of 2018 and gets utilized regularly, Bailey said. The agency didn't have exact numbers, but staff has said it's used frequently, he added.
The sheriff's office also has a La Pine location in the works and they "hope to have it ready in the near future," the sergeant said.
The agency also is looking at providing such a location in the northern county, but has yet to decide how to proceed. Bailey said the Terrebonne substation "isn't really best located for the Redmond area."
