In the United States today, public confidence in law enforcement is strained by growing evidence of racial disparities and costly misconduct. Nationwide, the top 25 police departments paid over $3.2 billion in settlements over the past decade freopp.org (roughly $300+ million per year), and one Washington Post analysis found $1.5 billion in misconduct payouts just in one recent ten‑year span washingtonpost.com. At the same time, Black Americans and other people of color face vastly higher rates of stops, searches, and force. For example, federal data show Black men are about 2.4 times more likely than White men to be killed by police truthout.org, and a Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists report finds Black people are more than twice as likely to die (and 5× more likely to suffer serious injury) in police encounters than Whites cdn.ymaws.com. Young people of color are especially at risk: one Bureau of Justice Statistics study found that one in five nonfatal police uses-of-force were against 16–24 year‑olds prisonpolicy.org, and by age 23 nearly half of Black men have already been arrested (versus 38% of White men) sentencingproject.org. These statistics – plus countless headlines of tragic encounters – underscore the urgent need for new approaches that protect civil rights, promote transparency, and build trust in policing.
Legal principles underscore these rights. For example, Terry v. Ohio (1968) held that officers may only stop and frisk someone if they have a specific, articulable suspicion of crime – mere “hunches” are not enough acluohio.org. Similarly, Miranda v. Arizona (1966) guaranteed that detained individuals must be told of their rights to remain silent and to an attorney before questioning aclu.org. In practice, however, many citizens – especially youth – do not fully know or assert these protections during real encounters. GoVia’s founders note that community members are “often intimidated or ignorant” of their rights in the moment aclu.org. By educating users about Miranda, Terry, and related protections, GoVia aims to empower people so that officers cannot override constitutional safeguards without immediate consequences.
At its core, GoVia is a mobile app that offers a “safe encounter” toolkit for people in contact with police. It combines real-time support (legal, medical, and mental health) with community feedback and documentation features. Users can register on the app and complete short courses on interacting with police, their legal rights, and de‑escalation techniques. The app then issues a year‑stamped “bummer sticker” for the user’s vehicle, signaling to officers that the driver has completed training and is “prepared and protected.” Crucially, GoVia lets citizens document their encounters: through the app they can upload photos, audio or video of any stop. Each encounter can be ranked on a simple 1–5 scale by submitting a sworn affidavit via the app, ensuring the feedback is legally verified. Officers who receive high rankings are “highlighted as heroes” for good work, while repeated low scores trigger follow‑up by supervisors or civilian oversight boards.
Figure Below: A GoVia user interface mockup shows the “Highlight A Hero” ranking system, where citizens can assign 1–5 stars and descriptive tags (e.g. “Kind”, “Culturally Sensitive”) to an officer after an interaction, alongside the official police department’s own performance score. Such dual ratings are sent to supervisors to reward good conduct and identify problems.
GoVia also embeds real-time support. During any stop, a user can initiate a video call (e.g. via Zoom/Skype/Google Duo/Google meets) directly from the app to a pre‑approved attorney or crisis counselor. A GoVia pilot blog explains: “During a police interaction, a citizen using GoVia can video chat with an attorney via Zoom. If the situation may escalate to an arrest… the attorney triggers an alert to a pre‑vetted bail bondsman.” The app’s law section even lists local legal contacts (public defenders, bail agents) for quick reference. By notifying a bail bondsman or public defender in real time, GoVia aims to reduce wrongful detentions and ensure prompt release if needed. Mental health professionals are available in the same way, addressing the fact that many crises (especially among youth) are better handled by counselors than by armed officers. Importantly, GoVia’s telehealth features are built to be HIPAA‑compliant, securing users’ medical data and allowing safe, legal sharing of information. In-short, GoVia offers a “support network at your fingertips” for anyone pulled over, with legal and medical backup ready to join the encounter.
Beyond real‑time help, GoVia fosters learning and accountability. Every new user goes through a free mini‑course on their rights and how to stay safe during stops. This education is mandatory: only after finishing it does a user receive the official sticker and full app privileges. The idea is to make knowledge of the law as common as knowing how to buckle a seatbelt. Meanwhile, GoVia aims to use collected data to drive reform. All affidavits, videos, and rankings form a database that civilian boards and police departments can analyze. Over time, patterns of misconduct or exemplary behavior can be spotted; training programs can be adjusted; and individual officers can see the impact of their actions on community trust. In theory, this dual-accountability system ensures officers and citizens are both ‘on record.’ As one analysis of GoVia notes, video evidence and affidavits may deter both false accusations and unjustified force, since everything is “encrypted, timestamped.”
Potential Impact. Experts believe an integrated approach like GoVia’s could have multiple benefits:
- Cutting Abuse and Misconduct. By documenting stops and involving attorneys, GoVia could deter bad behavior on all sides. A National Institute of Justice review finds that video documentation “provides better transparency” and can confirm the true sequence of events nij.ojp.gov. In practice, body‑camera studies show that when footage is available, fewer use-of-force incidents are disputed – one study in Chicago found cameras closed racial gaps in misconduct investigations by “introducing objective evidence” news.gsu.edu. GoVia’s 24/7 video link would act similarly. Moreover, insiders note that GoVia’s platform will “minimize misunderstandings, reduce tension” and thus “significantly reduce the likelihood of misconduct claims.” Any reduction in lawsuits has a direct budget impact. If even 10–20% of misconduct costs (roughly $300 million per year) were saved, that could free hundreds of millions for local services. GoVia’s advocates explicitly cite the $3.2 billion figure to argue such savings are possible freopp.org.
- Building Trust with Communities. Transparency is at the heart of community trust. Decades of research show that trust is the keystone of effective policing ojp.gov. Yet many well-meaning “community policing” efforts have failed to measurably improve public trust nature.com. New evidence suggests a remedy: when officers state their intentions out loud, civilians feel safer and more willing to cooperate nature.com. GoVia institutionalizes this kind of transparency. For example, if a driver’s sticker shows they have GoVia status, an officer’s tablet can immediately confirm the user is trained and connected to legal support . That shared knowledge – that “both sides have back‑up cameras, attorneys, and witnesses” – can lower tension. The app also gives citizens a voice: by publicly “highlighting heroes” and flagging problem officers, it signals that community feedback matters. In theory, as DOJ experts argue, repeated positive engagement will produce “solid achievements” – trust “will allow police to form close relationships with the community” ojp.gov. In this way, GoVia could help repair the trust deficit by making every stop a more balanced, two‑way exchange.
- Expanding Youth Access to Justice. GoVia specifically targets young people of color by design. Its educational content is user-friendly for teens and young adults, and its interface is smartphone-based and gamified. By lowering barriers to legal help, the app democratizes rights protection. For instance, users can instantly connect to a lawyer even if they have no money or get a bondsman’s intervention for a minor traffic warrant. This can especially help youth: many minors don’t know they can remain silent or that they can refuse a car search. By integrating “Know Your Rights” lessons and on-demand legal advice, GoVia could prevent routine stops from spiraling into arrests or rights violations. Statistics reinforce the need: nearly 30 million Americans initiated police contact in 2022 prisonpolicy.org, and younger adults (18–24) had the highest rates of both stops and force prisonpolicy.org. If more of these interactions occur with legal and mental‑health coaches on hand, then fewer young people will enter the justice system unnecessarily. Moreover, seeing officers ranked as “culturally sensitive” or “considerate” (as in the app’s tags) can help signal respect and set positive norms. In sum, GoVia aims to put tools of justice into the hands of youth, so that systemic inequity is checked not only by lawyers but by everyday users.
- Encouraging Peaceful De-escalation. The app’s tech features are designed to calm tense moments. Secure video chats with counselors can immediately address fear or anger during an encounter. A unique GoVia proposal is remote engagement: if a situation looks bad, police could use GoVia’s platform (Zoom link) to speak with the driver from a safe distance, rather than approaching recklessly. As one GoVia report notes, this “remote engagement” is “especially valuable in de-escalation scenarios.” Research on similar tools supports this intuition: knowing an interaction is recorded has a “civilizing effect” on everyone involved nij.ojp.gov. Witnessing oneself on camera – or knowing trusted support is listening – can deter rash moves. Over time, such features could help shift policing culture toward patience and dialogue. In effect, GoVia supplements officer training (like Crisis Intervention Team skills) with live resources, reinforcing a norm that stops should end peacefully whenever possible.
Ultimately, GoVia embodies a vision of community‑police partnership. Instead of casting citizens as powerless victims, it makes them active participants in safety and justice. Its multifaceted approach is notable: no single solution (body cams, civilian review boards, or training alone) has solved the crisis of misconduct. But an integrated model – combining education, real‑time support, and data transparency – has promise. Studies affirm that when officers and civilians share clear information and oversight, everyone benefits nij.ojp.govnature.com.
Call to Action: The evidence suggests that cutting‑edge tools like GoVia deserve support. Policymakers at city and state levels should pilot and evaluate this technology in partnership with community groups. Funding agencies could invest in rigorous studies of its effects on stop outcomes. Legislators should consider laws enabling secure telehealth and legal tele-presence for any person in police custody, and laws empowering courts to subpoena relevant police video upon request. Civil rights advocates and police executives alike can champion GoVia’s spirit: an app built on equity, openness, and systemic reform. By supporting programs that embed legal rights, mental‑health aid, and accountability into everyday policing, we can reduce wasteful settlements, protect vulnerable communities, and ensure that every interaction truly lives up to the promise of public safety ojp.gov. In the end, these reforms are not just technical fixes – they can save lives and rebuild trust where it has long been broken.
Register at: www.GoVia.app
Sources: National data and research on policing statistics prisonpolicy.org openpolicing.stanford.edu cdn.ymaws.com; civil rights case law summariesacluohio.orgaclu.org; GoVia official materials and expert blogs; criminology and public safety studies news.gsu.edu nij.ojp.govnature.com and ojp.gov
