Technology for Peace: How Tech Can Help Reduce Violent Confrontations Between Civilians and Police Officers

Written by KOVA Corp

As we continue to hear about the all-too-frequent shootings that are taking the lives of both police officers and civilians, it can be difficult to imagine a better future. How can we stop these shootings from happening? How can we prevent things like human error, bias, and hatred from affecting the way civilians and police officers interact with each other?

Perhaps, at times, it seems like a hopeless cause. However, there are plenty of people who not only want a future in which police officers and civilians are safer, but are actively working to make it a reality.

Ever since the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, technologists, engineers, and scientists have been working harder than ever on technology to prevent the kind of fatal interactions that have been dominating the news.

So what kind of technology is currently in the works?

Mobile apps

Since the shooting deaths of Philando Castile, Alton Brown, and the five Dallas police officers in the summer of 2016, Silicon Valley developers have gotten very interested in how mobile apps might play a part in reducing these lethal confrontations.

One tech investor, Shervin Pishevar, has partnered with the retired New York City Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik to work on an app that would reduce the need for face-to-face interactions between police and civilians.

Although the app is still in its conceptual stages, one idea for how it could work is described in USA Today. When a police officer pulls someone over for a traffic stop, for example, the officer could connect their phone, via the app, to the driver’s smartphone. The app would initiate a FaceTime-like conversation that is recorded in the cloud. This way, both parties could remain in their cars, decreasing the risk of escalation or misunderstanding.

The app would also give the officer background information on the driver - including things like whether there is a warrant out for the person’s arrest, and whether the person has a gun license. This information would help the officer know what to expect and make more informed decisions on how to proceed.

A key feature on this app is a Panic button, which the driver could press at any time if they feel threatened. Then, the app connects both parties to a third-party mediator who would help manage and defuse the situation.

Pishever isn’t the only person hoping to help prevent police shootings with a mobile app. Another young company, Reboot Safety, hosted Hackathons in July with the goal of spurring development of apps with the same goal.

Less-than-lethal weapons

Another idea that is gaining traction among experts is to develop more effective less-than-lethal tools that police officers can use on combative suspects. If a suspect is truly incapacitated, there’s no need to use deadly force - and that’s a goal that everyone, from police officers to protesters, judges to city officials, can agree on.

According to an analysis for CNN by a professor of criminal justice, Adam Lankford, there are several feasible possibilities for less-than-lethal weapons. If Tasers can be improved, they could work well - they just need a better range and more reliability.

Chemical agents are also being considered, though this is a very controversial idea. If a drug or inhalant could be administered that would render a suspect unconscious, lethal force would be totally unnecessary.

Another potential side effect of these effective, less-than-lethal weapons, according to Lankford, is a decrease in mass shootings. Lankford says that many shooters he’s studied count on being killed by police when they commit their crimes - he calls it suicide-by-police. Lankford argues that if a criminal knows that instead of being killed, he would be incapacitated and forced to go to trial, he may not be as willing to commit the crime.

While there’s no way to guarantee an end to fatal confrontations between police and civilians, there is real promise in the idea that technology could make everyone’s lives safer. To read more about ways that public safety technology is improving safety for all, read our post “What’s Next for Public Safety Technology?

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