Here’s an app that could help save lives and prevent misunderstanding and miscommunication.
The ‘Make it Home Safe’ traffic stop app.
The app provides safety and security for citizens and police during traffic stops. Police can view the license, registration and insurance documents of the driver. Then police can send a notification of the violation to the driver before leaving the police car.
Loved ones can receive notifications of the exact location of the driver being pulled over. Video can be recorded.
The app, developed by Carlton and Pamela Vreen, was inspired by Carlton’s past law enforcement racial profiling experiences.
The promotional video says ‘Make it Home Safe’ takes the stress and fear out of traffic stops making them safer, simpler and better for drivers and law enforcement.
The website notes that tensions between police and the public are at an all-time high specifically for African Americans. Traffic stops are some of the most common interactions people of color have with police. They are the most stressful part of driving. Though routine, traffic stops are also stressful for police, they don’t know who is behind the wheel and have no way to verify identity until after getting out of the police vehicle.
Features of the app include:
Locator Services
Biometric Confirmation
Voluntary Registration
Video Camera Recording
One Button Text Notification of Location of Traffic Stop
One Button 911 Calling
Real-Time Remote Traffic Violation Notification From Police to Driver
Medical Information
Driver’s License, Registration, and Insurance Documentation
Identification of Driver When Owner Is Sharing or Renting the Vehicle
The most important things that Make it Home Safe does is provide real-time remote identification and collaboration between citizens and police before police approach the vehicle on foot and notifies loved ones of the police stop and location says Carlton Vreen.
He said he is the perfect person to develop the app because, ” I have been a victim of police overreaction and racial profiling myself. I know the fear of having a police officer point his gun at me and the thought of losing my life for following his commands to retrieve my license, insurance and registration information. I have also been profiled at an airport rental car counter on my way to a prayer breakfast and suffered the humiliation and degradation of being told to get out of the car to be strip searched on the side of the highway with several police cars on the scene.”
Vreen says that he hope to restore trust between civilians and law enforcement and prevent police shootings that cost lives, as well as millions of dollars in lawsuits.
Make It Home Safe was awarded $50,000 and third place in theUpPrize Social Innovation Challenge.
The app is available for Android and iPhone. The company recently completed a pilot in Aliquippa, Penn.