Empowerment
Modify a product to benefit a minority
When one of my children had an encounter with police I learned first hand how powerless a parent can feel. I let that experience inform my thinking in designing this product.
Insight
1. Minority groups are disproportionately targeted by police. When interactions with police are a matter of life and death, minorities can't safely advocate for themselves. But a record of events can help.
2. With growing concern over how phones and apps encroach on personal privacy a tool that actively protects privacy can restore customer confidence.
The Idea
A wearable device that begins recording as soon as a police interaction begins and notifies family members.
A partnership with ACLU and or other organizations to provide legal resources and ensure privacy protection.
A user generated anonymous database of police interactions that can highlight area where profiling occurs.
How it works
The product is a modified air tag with a paired phone app that can be worn as a bracelet.
When the user says a trigger word, such as "officer" the device begins recording and alerts family members.
In addition to a word trigger, the device can be activated with a button that can be reached while in handcuffs.
Family members wearing their own device will feel increasing vibrations when getting closer to an activated device. This function would be helpful in active shooter scenarios, natural disasters and emergencies. This feature could also be beneficial to refugees and immigrants.
As users anonymously post about their encounters a searchable database of police activity is created that can reveal patterns of profiling and harrassment.
