The city of Santa Clarita and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department have announced a new Safe Exchange Zone for the public at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, located at 23740 Magic Mountain Parkway in Valencia.

The Safe Exchange Zone provides residents with a secure, safe environment for those who buy, sell or trade items to complete transactions, as well as a neutral location for child custody exchanges.

The designated Safe Exchange Zone at the SCV Sheriff’s Station is located in the station’s parking lot, directly opposite of the entrance to the station.

The area is painted green and has signs posted designating them as a “Safe Exchange Location.”

The area is also under 24/7 video surveillance.

“The Safe Exchange Zone will provide an environment with added security for our residents,” said station Captain Robert Lewis.

The goal of the Safe Exchange Zone is to also reduce the number of fraudulent transactions taking place, as well as act as a level of protection against theft and other crimes.

The most recent crime of this type took place on Monday.

Residents are encouraged to use the Safe Exchange Zone for all private party transactions and are reminded that the exchange of drugs, alcohol, weapons and other illegal items is strictly prohibited.

For more information about the Santa Clarita Safe Exchange Zone, please contact Sergeant Dan Dantice, of Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Crime Prevention Unit, at DLDantic@lasd.org or 661-255-1121 ext. 5804.