Just Get Home Safe

In the next 60 minutes 3,625 motorist will be involved in a routine traffic stop in America. In the next 24 hours, nearly 87,000 will be summoned by the blue lights of an officer to pull over and by the end of 2021, an estimated 33 million drivers on the streets of America will encounter law enforcement. The statistics say that 3% of these traffic stops will be misconducted. What does that mean? It means that 108 people today alone, and then again tomorrow, and everyday after, will experience being pulled over with no probable cause, or ticketed without merit, or taken to jail without legitimate reason, or profiled based on looks and/or skin color, or have an illegal substance planted in their car, or illegal seizure of personal assets, or sexually assaulted and raped, or murdered! What are the chances that one day this could be you or your loved ones? God willing, it won’t!!

No 4-year-old should have to endure from the back seat, the ringing sound of shots fired as a fearful rookie officer pumps 6 bullets into her daddy’s chest and watch his head rest across the back of the seat as he slowly drifts into his death right before her eyes. No 21-year-old blonde-haired, blue-eyed ambitious college student leaving a study group at 1:30 in the morning should suffer post traumatic syndrome resulting from an officer pulling her over on a dark desolate road and forcefully sexually assaulting her in the absence of anybody being close enough to witness and come to her rescue. It is outright cruel and inhumane for a couple to lose custody of their baby boy at the hands of an officer that remained on patrol for years until his bodycam finally revealed that he had numerous cases of planting illegal drugs during routine traffic stops. These few cases do not touch the surface of the horrid and heinous crimes committed by the corrupt officers who are sworn to serve and protect in the American streets and communities.

In America it is custom for us as drivers to get in our vehicles, strap on our seatbelts, look both ways and in the mirrors, and then proceed to our destinations without giving forethought to the possibility of being pulled over by the police. The one event that could potentially have life altering consequences, we do not take the time to invest in learning safety and preventable methods to avert potentially bad situations. It is unfortunately the silent destroyer and disrupter of thousands of lives but given minimal attention because we do not think about it until we are facing it, then it’s too late. Only a select few have immunity to it strictly based on power and position, leaving 275 million daily commuters and travelers at risk. I was one of those until 2016 when a light called fear lured me in the direction of truth and preparation.

It all started when my 16-year-old nephew got his first car and was preparing to go out into the world on his own for the first time. He was a young black kid that was super intelligent, athletic and had everything in life going well for him. On the night we decided to give him his car, I happened to be driving through our little town and experienced a young black teenager pulled over by several police cars. As I passed the scene, they had him laid across the hood of the patrol car with his face pointed towards traffic. It seems as if he and I made eye contact and all I could sense was tremendous fear on his face, and that fear transferred onto me with the deepest of emotions. Only hours away from surprising my nephew with his dream car, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the fear of him getting caught in a traffic stop situation that had the potential of going bad. Realistic in nature, the media was constantly covering cases of young black men being shot, killed and incarcerated for minor infractions or no reason at all. Knowing he did not know all his rights, the laws and proper protocol for navigating a routine traffic stop, I set out to gather as much information possible to arm him, and my entire family, with the tools to get home safely.

What started out as a general rules and regulations research project, quickly escalated to years of R&D. My career job at the time allowed me to be in 3 family homes a day, 5 days a week and in every home possible, after I had conducted the business that I was there for, I inquired about a story or event that involved police during a traffic stop. Over the span of about 3 years, I interviewed nearly 1500 families and 50 plus officers. The information that I had gathered during this time gave proof that there was tremendous need for something that could help motorist better prepare and eliminate the stress and fear associated with being pulled over. Also, to my surprise, what I found during data and statistical research was that police misconduct is widespread and tremendously affects all races and nationalities. The initial solution was to create a public website called thesearemyrights.com and list the laws, rights, and proper procedures by state as a point of reference for drivers. The problem with that solution was that having the knowledge was a good thing, however, when the blue lights gone on behind you, most of what you know is drowned in fear and stress. During a brainstorming session with a group of peers, I came up with the idea of creating an app that would allow the driver to have live witnesses in the car, and this is where The Safe Cop Stops Project was born.

Imagine with me if you will. You are cruising along in your car doing what you normally do whether it’s playing your favorite jams or talking to your loved one about the highlights of your day, and all of a sudden you look in your rearview mirror to see…. THE BLUE LIGHTS FLASHING! Immediate fear kicks in accommodated by sweaty palms, a rush of blood to your head, and the accumulation of gas bubbles in your stomach. The words, “Oh crap”, for the Christian person or “Oh Sh#$*%&” for the cursing Christian flows off your tongue. But then you remember you have the Safe Cop Stops App downloaded on your phone and all you say is, “Hey Siri, It’s the Police”! Immediately a notification is sent to up to 10 people that you preloaded as Virtual Witnesses, alerting them of you being summoned, and they respond by immediately going live on your phone. You have a designated speaker like spouse, mom, dad, or best friend to help calm your nerves and talk you through making the next right move to set up a smooth executed traffic stop. You have previously placed one of the three reflective decals in your rear window that alerts the officer that there is (1) a deaf/mute driver,(2) a passenger that is autistic and that (3) he/she is being recorded live to a cloud by the time they approach your window. In addition, you know NOT to make any reaching moves that would increase suspicion or create probable cause for a vehicle search. You recall the “Push Motorfications™ feature that flashes across your phone from time to time reminding you to “Be respectful and exercise your right to remain silent” amongst hundreds of other tips, but you also have access to an attorney right through the app using the Virtual Attorney on Demand™ feature. The feeling of empowerment and control overwhelms you and you make all the right moves, say all the right words and within minutes you are free to go. Tell me what mother, father, sister, brother, spouse would not want this amazing app on their loved one’s mobile device.

Psychology professor Abraham Maslow, creator of the Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, ranks human safety and security as the 2nd most important human need after the basics of food, air, rest and water. It has been proven that we can not function to our fullest potential in life if we do not feel safe and protected. The safety industry is nearly a trillion-dollar industry when you combine food safety, automotive safety, sport safety, and the hundreds of other industries that spend billions of dollars to ensure the well fare of products and services. Any breach in security demands immediate attention to fill the gaps. Though most officers in this country are good people who honor the badge they proudly wear upon their chest, the gaps in the industry present enough negative impact on the lives of thousands to the point it must be addressed and safeguarded against. People want to follow me, read my stories and hear what I have to say because I have their best interest at heart and provide the resources to fill the safety gap for them and their loved ones. May God bless each one of you and at the end of the day, get home safe!!!