New Tools For Urban Survival > Phone Apps That Monitor Deadly Police Encounters

From Axios today > Yes,  Mobile phone apps are evolving in ways that can stop rather than simply document deadly police encounters with people of color — including notifying family and lawyers about potential violations in real time.

THE BIG PICTURE These apps seek to give victims of police violence new tools with which to be more proactive rather than having to rely on videos to go viral after incidents have occurred.

THE OTHER SIDE Many law enforcement officers welcome more video evidence and see the benefits of engaging family members to manage a mental health crisis. .

Yes, but: Marcus Benigno of the ACLU of Southern California said if all officers were doing their job, there wouldn't be a need to capture proof of excessive force.

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Using apps to prevent deadly police encounters

Russell Contreras

GO DEEPER > Axios | 2020-12-05T12:00:54.509645Z

Why it matters: As states and cities face pressure to reform excessive force policies, apps that monitor police are becoming more interactive, gathering evidence against rogue officers as well as posting social media videos to shame the agencies

• Civil rights advocates praise these tech advances, but some law enforcement advocates fear the videos could be manipulated, or that streaming could turn police into targets.

How it works: Updated apps allow users to monitor police encounters and send information to a variety of different sources, even if an officer tries to damage a phone.

> A revamped Legal Equalizer app captures police encountersafter the user is pulled over, . .

> The new version of the Mobile Justice app available in all 50 states records and submits police incidents directly to local chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The app also lets users send videos via text messaging to family and private attorneys.

> The Cop Watch Video Recorder app opens with Siri on iPhones, automatically beginning filming and sending footage to the cloud . .  .