Calif. Sheriff's Department Testing New Video Chat App for Traffic Stop

Sept. 25, 2023

A new pilot program by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department will try out the Safe Stop app, which allows drivers to initiate a video chat with deputies during traffic stops.

Joe Vince

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is testing a new app that turns traffic stops into video chats for drivers and deputies in an effort to defuse tense and potentially dangerous situations.

A new pilot program introduces the Safe Stop app that lets drivers initiate a two-way vide call with deputies during a stop, KCAL-TV reports. No private information is shared with the call, and deputies aren't required to answer Safe Stop calls if they feel safety is an issue.

"The idea is, let's go to where the conflict takes place, which is in a traffic stop and see if we could make that interaction easier," Safe Stop co-founder Tyler Hochman told KCAL.

Currently, the app is only available in the area served by the agency's West Hollywood station. The program is set to run between six months to a year, and Safe Stop has pledged to pay a percentage of a driver's ticket if they use the app during a stop.

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.