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.
