Elsinore Sheriff’s Station now offering Community Meetup Spot

July 22, 2019 Trevor Montgomery

LAKE ELSINORE — On July 22, 2019, The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department – Lake Elsinore Station will begin offering the public parking lot for use as a community meet up location where individuals conducting internet purchase transactions can meet.

The Lake Elsinore Station parking lot provides an alternative to meeting a stranger at a private residence or unfamiliar location. Signage is located next to parking stalls designated for the exchanges. The location is also available be used for families with visitation rights to make a custodial exchange.

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As internet person to person sales have grown, so has crime related to them to include assaults, robberies, and other thefts. Not every buyer or seller online, is someone who is true with their intent. There is a certain criminal element that capitalizes upon the inexperience of others. This type of criminal will typically agree to meeting in an area the criminal is familiar with. When the unsuspecting party arrives, the criminal will seize the item or take it by force.

The Lake Elsinore Station’s goal is to reduce victimization by this type of predator. By providing this location, the risk of victimization is greatly reduced. The sign was generously donated by OfferUp, who partners with law enforcement in an effort to reduce crime.

The Department is not responsible for the value, authenticity or legitimacy of the transactions. The use of the parking lot is an alternative and safer exchange location. The Lake Elsinore Station is located at: 333 Limited Avenue, Lake Elsinore, CA (951) 245-3300. Additional internet transaction safety tips:

Do not meet in a secluded place or invite strangers into your home.
Be especially careful buying/selling high value items.
Tell a friend or family member where you’re going.
Take your cell phone with you.
Consider having a friend accompany you.
Never purchase anything online using your credit card from a site that does not have SSL (Secure Sockets Layer).
Ask a lot of questions.
Avoid meetings during hours of darkness.
Trust your instincts.
If in danger, call 911.

Submitted by Riverside Sheriff’s Lake Elsinore Station.

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Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.