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Uber Investor Suggests Addressing Police Killings With an App (usatoday.com)
An anonymous reader write: To address the problem of motorists killed by police officers, Shervin Pishevar, the Iranian-born VC who backed Uber, is suggesting an app that allows police officers to communicate with motorists during traffic stops without either party leaving their vehicles. USA Today reports that Pishevar "says he has slept very little in the past 48 hours as he seeks input from law enforcement, software engineers and designers, lawmakers and from community members," and he's now working with former New York City police commissioner. Engadget has criticized Pishevar's proposal, writing "Dear Silicon Valley, not everything can be solved with apps."
At midnight on Friday, Uber also shut down their service for one minute "to create a moment of reflection for the Uber Community,", and also added a peace sign to their app, encouraging its users to "take a moment to think about what we can do to help," and changed the countdown for the arrival of a car into the amount of time left "to reflect on gun violence".
At midnight on Friday, Uber also shut down their service for one minute "to create a moment of reflection for the Uber Community,", and also added a peace sign to their app, encouraging its users to "take a moment to think about what we can do to help," and changed the countdown for the arrival of a car into the amount of time left "to reflect on gun violence".
apple will want 30% of ticket / court fees.
This app already exists, it's called "Phone". Give police access to a database of license plates and cell phone numbers and you could already achieve this.
Hail cabs. Stay the fuck out of politics. Thanks.
...and shut their service down permanently. Maybe Twitter and Tumblr could do the same.
...the solution to America's social problems can be fixed by less face-to-face human interaction. In fact, I suspect that a large part of the problem is that too many people live in their own bubble, rarely looking up from the screen in their hands.
Maybe we could try... I don't know... just engaging with each other in a calm, direct, civil manner that communicates mutual respect? Pssht. I know. Crazy talk.
Non-kinetic solutions will not solve kinetic problems. How's about we all just take a step back and count to five before we make any sudden motions, literal or metaphorical.
Because law enforcement/government agencies have access to the cell network such that they can shutdown, notify, or compromise cellular devices.
If cellular devices were secure, then yes this would be a possibility. But with our current iterations of devices it is just a matter of time (assuming it hasn't already happened) before an area is blacked out, or devices wiped in order to ensure that incriminating video doesn't get out. Unless of course it is politically beneficial for it to.
you could just keep your hands on the wheel and not unexpectedly reach for something in the car.
If Mr. Pishevar really wants to help, perhaps he should seek some advice from people and organisations who have a good grasp of the issues before offering solutions.
Mohammed: Did you see Mohammed at the meeting today?
Mohammed: No, but his brother Mohammed showed up.
Mohammed: What did Mohammed talk about?
Mohammed: Mohammed introduced us to Mohammed who is also a mason!
Mohammed: A mason? No shit? How long has he been one?
Mohammed: About five years. He was referred to the local lodge by Mohammed.
Mohammed: Ah, yes, Mohammed. He has a shit ton of connections around town!
Mohammed: Yes, and our brothers, police be upon them, Mohammed and Mohammed from Egypt came, too.
Mohammed: I've been thinking of becoming a clown.
Mohammed: A clown, Mohammed, why?
Mohammed: So I can film myself being gay.
Mohammed: Oh, you.
Mohammed: So anyway, is Mohammed, Mohammed, and Mohammed coming to the next party?
Mohammed: Indeed. Mohammed was so funny last time.
Mohammed: Well it wouldn't be a party without Mohammed.
Mohammed: Yes, my friend. POLICE BE UPON THEM!
(aka: mr. muslim's wild ride!)
just keep pissing off Russia until world war 3 starts, then Putin can nuke america into oblivion and of course america nuke Russia into oblivion. Then once USA and new USSR are whiped out the rest of us can get on with our fucking lives.
Sure you're probably thinking "what is this retard on about we aren't almost on the brink of war with Russia" Well you're fucking wrong, its getting pretty fucking tense over there and all your fucking in fighting is drowning it out of the media so you all have no fucking idea how close it really is right now.
How the hell will they prevent pranksters from spoofing official channels and making random people think they're in trouble?
Most of the cops doing the shootings and outright murder are the younger ones in the 20s-40s. Most cops around here spend their time glued to their phones or are texting.
Oh fuck right off with that.
Luddites will keep worrying about police killings forever! Because only apps can solve all of our problems! Only apps can app apps!
Apps!
"guns don't kill people" and "need guns to protect ourselves!".
Americans are idiots. This sort of BS doesn't happen in other countries because we have proper gun control laws and we don't let crazies able to carry a gun or buy one without any background check at gun shows. Why do you think the US is THE country where there's the most gun related crimes in the world, because you keep failing to regulate them properly by thinking you need a gun to protect yourselves... Well if nobody had guns, maybe you wouldn't need a gun to protect yourself god damn it.
How is that not a technical solution for a social problem? The social problems are numerous, including police violent trigger-happy officers, a society that seeks to right wrongs with violence and trump. Sure, some behaviour can be influenced with gadgets (violent behaviour vs bodycams), but this is like trying to cure psychiatric illness with reading a self-help booklet.
A good social solution imho would be to disarm 90% of police officers, only those exposed to real dangerous situations should be allowed body-armour and weapons. Put those officers that wish to leave the force after such a change on ship B, as the world would be much better off without them.
This space is intentionally staring blankly at you
How about a real time audio communications system is added to the cellphones? SOmething that can use the cellphone's microphone, convert it to digital data, and then send it across the network in real time to another cellphone in the police officer's car? Perhaps we could use some kind of numbering system to uniqlely identify each cellphone, with perhaps a three digit or short number for emergency services coordination.
Now for a name... hmm... well, obviously, it's phonic because that means sound, and it is at a distance, which as we know from ancient greek, is "tele". So... something like telephnr. Becauese adding an "r" makes it an awesome app...
Oh wait.
I think this is a reflection of everyone being frustrated, and being unable to do anything about it. You try and find answers in what you know. If apps are your world, then you hope to develop and code your way into a solution. I think the intent is laudable, even if in the end the app is a non-starter.
I will shred my adversaries. Pull their eyes out just enough to turn them towards their mewing, mutilated faces. Illyria
coz non gun violence is fine. :|
Violence is stupid. Period. And should be the last resort LAST. "I got scared" ain't a good excuse to use it.
Traffic offences are easily caught on camera. There should be little need to stop a motorist unless they're clearly putting other people at risk. In a country that insists on having firearms all over the fucking place, being policed by machines is probably safer...
For millions of years mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination. We learned to talk.
-- Keep Talking - Pink Floyd
Perhaps we need to put down our keyboards and screens and lean how to talk to each other again, in person. If we don't, we risk going back to being animals.
Definitely would not rely on them in a life or death situation.
Most of the criminals doing the shootings and outright murders are the younger ones in the 20s-40s.
We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
The implementation of this would be troublesome to say the least, but I don't think the idea and the reasoning behind it is inherently unsound. I've seen police videos where an officer is approaching the driver side door of a vehicle they have pulled over and the driver opens the door and starts shooting.
Even a brief initial verbal exchange before they meet face to face has the potential to add value and either tip an officer off to something bad, or reassure both parties that there can be a safe interaction between them (while never fully letting your guard down, obviously.)
This guy sees a way to make money off the hot topic of "for your safety". It is government inspired. Forget about it. With the debt like it is right now the last thing we need to talk about are apps and cops. Who will pay the police? Billions of dollars a month just to pay the interest on the US public debt.
Engadget got this partially right. Fuck off app guy.
In the USA, you are wayyyyyyy more likely to die by heart disease or cancer. Hell you're even more likely to die by tripping. If you want to save people from dying, work on fixing the first two.
I have no problem with tech people suggesting apps that might help save people's lives, even if they don't also solve racism, xenophobia, etc.
Because the disconnected communication on the internet has resulted in so much more meaningful conversation and much better sharing of information ? One sided expressions of opinions based on nothing but opinions are what the internet excels at. Net rage, manifestos, isolation and depression are the chief exports of the so called social networking scene. People in the days before texting, Facebook, Twitter and such were forced to interact with other people on some level and others saw you and could sense your deepening depression and gradual withdrawal from the human race, today not so much. On a side note isn't it grand that Uber shut its' service down for a whole 'minute' to observe its' commitment to humanity, then back to business as usual.
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
People already get shot for holding a cellphone so what makes you think a smartphone app will improve the situation? Also, if you don't have a smartphone then will they just assume you are hostile and/or antisocial?
The problem is how the police are chosen and trained.
Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
More than 90% of people have cellphones. Why can the office after he pulls you over, get on the PA and ask you to call him or a special number. It would go like this:
Officer: Motorist please flash your break lights once for No, twice for yes. Do you understand?
Motorist: flashes break lights twice.
Officer: Do you have a cellphone with you that works?
Motorist: flashes twice.
Officer: please call XXX.
The number routes to a dispatcher who then routers the call to the officer at the scene. The call is recorded. This allows the office to explain why the motorist was stopped. Ask about any weapons in the car. Access the mental state of the motorist. The office then can call for backup or explain to the motorist that the officer is going to approach the vehicle. . .
Doesn't solve all problems. But can reduce a lot of stress and fear.
Stop fighting the police.
How about tackling the root of the problem?
Police think that everyone is going to be carrying a gun and are over cautious when making traffic stops.
The public thinks that police can and will shoot you if you make any gesture that could be construed as reaching for a firearm, including reaching for ID or papers when asked by the officer.
Bodycams were supposed to make the officer more transparent but have been "failing" at regular intervals, and prosecution of officer who do misconstrued actions is tricky and so far have been heavily weighed in favor of the officers (police work is tricky and difficult, but the shootings are unnecessary and based on fear)
USA has a big "hero" complex, the emergency worker rate of fatalities is much higher than every other developed nation, combine this with the prevalence of firearms and you have a perfect storm of stupidity.
The Official sector needs to Stop using fear as a means of population control, Terrorist are out to get you because of what you did to their countries but the likelihood of being involved in an attack is very very small yet it's being marketed as the big bad boogeyman around the corner! you much more likely to be shot by your own family member than another person, I would love to suggest Ban guns! but its too late, its going to take decades to fix this issue but using fear as marketing is a really big problem and it needs to stop, Shame trump will be the next president, I wonder if the rest of the world could chip in and build a wall around the entire country?
I think the idea is crazy, but I'm not against taking his money to prove him crazy.
I think it's funny when it's assumed that an app works across all cell phones and all cell networks, as well as the assumption that everyone carries a smartphone.
In an all bro world, that little rogues gallery you listed STILL would have gotten themselves killed.
We were all hoping for so much more -1
At midnight on Friday, Uber also shut down their service for one minute "to create a moment of reflection for the Uber Community,"
60 seconds. Not more, otherwise it could hurt revenues.
"At midnight on Friday, Uber also shut down their service for one minute "to create a moment of reflection for the Uber Community,"
Wow, a whole minute. They must really have been broken up about all that murder and killing and stuff.
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
You mean like a phone call?
No app can address even a properly-diagnosed a social problem, so no app can address a complex social problem that has been so politicized that it's not even being honestly discussed.
As a young man, I was repeatedly stopped in my car after doing NOTHING. I used to return home very late at night, alone, in an old run-down car. As I drove through town to my home I got pulled-over so many times I lost count. I never complained that I was stopped for "driving while white" (even though I was usually stopped by Hispanic deputies), or being male, or being young. The cops were doing their JOB and I did not care about their skin color and did not assume they cared about mine. They were investigating why some young guy was alone driving slowly through the business area of town very late at night in a disposable wreck of a car. They were keeping crime rates low by keeping an eye out for anything suspicious and stopping and questioning anyone they had questions about. They probably would have preferred hanging-out at the doughnut shop sipping coffee through their shifts and returning safely to their homes.
I was raised by parents who taught me to respect everybody older than me and to respect authority. Every time a cop pulled me over, I was keenly aware that while I was scared to be pulled over by a guy with a gun and the ability to ruin or end my life, he too was scared. I was conscious of the fact that HE was just a lone vulnerable human being, approaching an unknown and potentially very dangerous situation, and had to wonder if HIS life was about to end and that HE TOO just wanted to go home to his family at the end of his shift. I was aware that HE was used to dealing with the worst elements of society and had probably been exposed to plenty of suspects who seemed calm and then suddenly exploded with rage and even weapons. On EVERY stop, I kept my hands on the steering wheel and made sure I answered every question clearly and responded to every instruction slowly and deliberately making sure to NEVER do anything startling, or anything that might cause suspicion. I never got mad at being stopped "for nothing". It never occurred to me to talk back like some smart-ass, and escalate the situation that involved at least one gun. I was raised by parents who would have grounded me for life for ever treating ANYBODY with sarcasm or any sort of rebellious attitude. As a kid, my dad would have paddled my butt so badly that I'd have been unable to sit for a month if I had EVER disrespected a cop or anybody older than me. THAT is just one of the things dads are supposed to do for sons: teach them to live amongst others without making things worse.
People who want to presume that all cops (even the black ones) are racists who want to kill blacks, need to keep two things in mind: (1) every cop is aware that cops are more-likely to be killed by young black men than by anybody else, and (2) if cops were really out to kill young black men then they are mighty incompetent - they kill very few of them.
Bad results from police stops may CORRELATE with skin colors, but it is not a proven correlation-causation and depending on how you look at the numbers you can argue either way. You can point out the percentages and say the cops kill a higher percentage of blacks, or the raw numbers and say they kill more whites. You can argue that blacks are more-likely to be murdered than whites, but you can also point out that blacks are more likely to commit murder than whites. The correlation MAY be just to skin colors, but I believe it is much more to attitudes and upbringing.
We have entire segments of the population, of ALL ethnic groups, who are hostile jerks with bad attitudes. When confronting authorities or elders they are smart-asses who immediately try to show themselves to be the alpha in the confrontation. Had I as a white guy acted like that, I would have assumed I'd have been killed, so I did not do it. I was also raised not to think that such behavior was in any way acceptable, so I did not do it.
This ignores the unspoken policy that traffic stops are not always about enforcing traffic law and collecting small fines, but rather the police want that interaction with the driver so they can fish for bigger violations. Traffic stops are "pretext stops", a loophole to get around the 4th amendment.
Running your plate and taking your ID isn't about making sure they assign points to the right person, but also about looking for wants and warrants. Getting you to roll down the window and talk to the officer isn't really about checking whether you smell like booze or pot, or seem nervous. There is no right to remain silent when an automobile is involved., and traffic stops are one of the most productive ways to find and arrest people with outstanding warrants.
I do not deploy Linux. Ever.
This has got to be the dumbest thing I've heard all week. Just how does one produce license, registration, and proof of insurance using a cell phone? The articles suggestion of using the license plate as a key into a database is equally stupid, though car thieves and license-less relatives would love that.
The problem is how the police are chosen and trained.
No. There is more than one problem. That is sometimes one of the problems, because it is not like that is uniform either.
If people broke laws less, we would also have less need for police. So having too many laws is also a problem.
So is breaking the laws, and anything that incentivizes people to break the laws.
So is mistreating criminal suspects in ways which may be as you are trained to do, but which will cause their entire community to distrust police officers forever.
So is abuse of alcohol and inhibited judgment.
So is any society where the punishment for a simple misdemeanor includes not being able to rent an apartment.
So is a police culture where reporting a concern about a fellow officer's behavior makes you a pariah.
So is a society where police lives are at risk at every traffic stop.
It's not just one problem.
Real lawyers write in C++
Most of the criminals doing the shootings and outright murders are the younger ones in the 20s-40s.
And here I thought the ones doing the shootings were all "radical Islamic terrorists"...how fucking silly of me.
This app will reduce the potential violence associated with searching your car for cash to steal. Instead, it will just funnel your checking account balance to the police. A trained Animal Control officer will be dispatched to your home address to shoot the dog.
They shut down for a whole MINUTE
DAMN
It's illegal in my state to operate a cell phone while operating a car. For drunk driving, sitting by yourself in the back seat while there are keys somewhere in the car is considered operating the vehicle (don't ask me how, but people have been convicted). Anyone who pulls over and touches their phone without taking the keys out is committing another crime (I don't know how it works for keyless cars that can be started from apps).
This app requires the police to be able to track your phone. Give me 2 million in investment money and I'll create a company that lets you communicate without requiring a $60 a month service. I'll do it by creating a device that you hold outside your window. My device will also work without charging and for the deaf, though it won't work for the blind, but how many blind drivers are there? Give me another 4 million and I'll make it weather and wind resistant. Where's my money?
The "slayings"/"murders" as certain outlets term are usually molehills the media has pumped up into mountains. Something like 4 out of the 5 recent incidents had the deceased resisting arrest or being armed (or both). Sure, the one guy might not have had his gun out, but he had it and was wrestling with cops. (Pro-tip: When a cop points a gun at you, keep your hands up.)
Someone should lecture (or sue) the media for their hand in causing the assassinations in Dallas.
How about we take away these fuckers' guns/bazookas/tanks and stop militarizing those selected to serve and protect?
You know, the one where everyone lives apart and ultimately it was the robot what dunnit. This is that.
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For example you could install cop watch video recorder on your iPhone, it's just what came up first when I searched. There are similar apps for Android.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
send a drone to the person stopped, to take a photo of an id. it could also collect a weapon.
What a stupid fucking idea only a pseudo intellectual could come up with.
This defeats the purpose of a civil forfeiture stop. How will police put food in their children's bellies if they can't smell marijuana after pulling someone over for swerving within their lane, then take the car, cash, credit cards, jewelry, and electronics?
Shervin Pishevar, the Iranian-born VC
Iranian-born... as in born in Iran? That's important information. I know it is important, because when I searched for more information on this person, it was repeated over and over again in multiple news reports.
It is good to know that he was born in Iran. Otherwise, how else could I judge the validity of his ideas?
Born in Iran? I hope this is attached to his title for life so that I and others can know exactly where his ideas are really coming from.
In my state it is required to tell the officer if you are concealed carrying when stopped. The officer just asks where it is in my experience. And if you are carrying you hand the officer both licenses. When your DL is run it will show you have a carry license though. I have heard it makes them a little nervous if you don't tell them you had one. So I always hand over both even when I am not carrying.
refactor the law, its bloated, confusing and unmaintainable.
I see this as entrapment. In CA, and many other states, it is illegal to use your phone in your car, even when you are stopped. So when the cop pulls you over, and starts chatting with you on the app, they can ticket you for using your cell phone.
WTB [sig], PST!!!