Imagine you’re a young driver on a city street, heart pounding as bright lights flash behind you. You reach for your phone and say, “Hey GoVia.” Instantly, your camera streams live video to a licensed attorney – and, if you’ve opted in, a trained mental-health counselor joins the call tooGoVia.app. These professionals calmly guide you step-by-step, reassuring you and (if needed) speaking directly with the officer. The app also offers built-in education – for example a “How to Be Pulled Over” guide and tutorials on citizens’ rights – so you know exactly what to do before and during a stop. Overall, GoVia gives you voice-activated, hands-free access to help: just say “Hey GoVia” and live video connects you to legal and emotional support in seconds. “You don’t have to be great to get started,” as Les Brown reminds us motiversity.com – and GoVia equips every user, especially young people, with tools to stay safe and confident during police encounters.
- Quick Legal Help. At any traffic stop, you can instantly video-call an on-duty attorney. These lawyers can hear what’s happening and, by law, even address the officer for you – often defusing tension. In Minnesota’s TurnSignl pilot (a similar app), legal volunteers routinely ask officers to “give me 30 seconds” to calm the driver, and it “works”pbs.org. GoVia aims to do the same nationwide.
- Emotional Support. A connected mental-health counselor can coach you through fear or panic. As one Cleveland advocate notes, “not everyone needs a lawyer” – sometimes you just need someone to talk you through the moment calmly. GoVia’s partner, People Places and Dreams (a peer counseling service in Ohio), helps craft these guides and offers live advice for those in crisis.
- Educational Tools. The app includes step-by-step tutorials and even a traffic-stop simulator so you can practice your rights before an encounter. For example, GoVia’s “How to Be Pulled Over” guide explains how to hand over documents or disclose important information safely. These resources build your confidence and knowledge ahead of time.
- Accountability and Praise. After each interaction, users can file verified feedback about the encounter (complete with video evidence and an affidavit) to build transparency. Notably, GoVia isn’t just about problems – it celebrates heroes. A Google user raved that the app “bridges the gap between citizens and law enforcement” and “showcases hero police officers making a real difference in our communities.” This community thread highlights positive actions (honoring officers who went above and beyond) alongside any concerns, helping rebuild trust.
The moment a red stop sign comes into view is often stressful. GoVia transforms that split-second into an opportunity: with one voice command the tension can dissolve as support arrives. By inserting itself into the interaction, the app aims to slow everything down and keep everyone safe. As GoVia founder Georgio Sabino explains, the technology “empowers individuals during police encounters by providing real-time access to attorneys and mental health crisis professionals.” In other words, GoVia makes sure you are not alone. If a mismatch or misunderstanding arises, your attorney is right there – Sabino notes that having a lawyer present “might diffuse any tense situations” on the spot.
Building Trust and Reducing Harm
When professionals are in your corner, even routine stops can proceed more calmly. Research and real-life trials show that neutral guidance helps. For example, a PBS report on TurnSignl described co-founder Andre Creighton recalling his own traffic stop: having a lawyer on the line helped him negotiate a ticket down, simply by asking the officer to treat him fairly pbs.org. Minneapolis attorney Nyasha Operana, who volunteers with TurnSignl, says her virtual presence “has helped lower the temperature” in many stops pbs.org. In one case she asked an officer for a brief pause to “calm that driver down,” and the officer agreed – “and it’s worked,” Operana reports pbs.org. Her goal? “To make sure that both parties return home safe”pbs.org.
The Stakes: Lives and Dollars
The statistics tell a stark story of why GoVia is needed. Nationwide, police stop people far more often than we realize – on average about 20 million traffic stops each year in the U.S. Young adults are especially likely to be pulled over: 2018 federal data shows 18–24-year-olds had the highest stop rate (nearly 30% had some police contact, 19% a police-initiated encounter) bjs.ojp.gov. Unfortunately, these encounters can turn tragic. In 2023 alone, law enforcement fatally shot at least 1,232 people – roughly three per day. Black and Latino communities bear a disproportionate share of that loss. Even when shootings don’t occur, many people report feeling harassed or traumatized by stops: GoVia aims to give them a fair shot at safety.
The financial costs are also enormous. A Washington Post/Trace analysis found that from 2010–2020, 25 of America’s largest police agencies paid over $3.2 billion in settlements for misconduct claims thetrace.org. (Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles together covered about $2.5 billion of that thetrace.org.) Much of this cost is driven by repeat offenders on the force: about 7,600 officers with multiple claims account for nearly half ($1.5B) of the payoutsthetrace.org. That burden ultimately falls on taxpayers and, through insurance, on police unions. GoVia’s co-founders argue that by preventing escalations, the app could cut misconduct incidents by roughly 60%. If true, this would dramatically ease the strain on city budgets and insurance plans alike.
“We have to be impatient with evil and patient with people,” Dr. Cornel West teachestraffickinginstitute.org. GoVia is built on that principle. By adding love to the street corner, it gives everyday citizens the privilege and credibility that normally only the affluent or well-connected enjoy in crises. In Sabino’s words, privilege has historically been “the birthright of the affluent: instant access to attorneys, mental health resources, and educational [support].” GoVia flips that script by democratizing instant help for all. As one excited user put it, GoVia “empowers citizens with a voice and a means to contribute to justice.”
Join the Movement
GoVia: Highlight A Hero is more than an app – it’s a community movement. We invite you to be part of it. Sign up on the GoVia website or subscribe via email to get updates and tips. Connect with us: Subscribe via email, sign up on our website, and follow us on Fanbase, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms. for tutorials and real stories of impact. Encourage your friends and family to download the app and share their experiences. Together, we can ensure every citizen – especially Black, Latino, and vulnerable youth – has the support and privilege they need during critical moments. After all, as Dr. Cornel West reminds us, “justice is what love looks like in public.”traffickinginstitute.org With GoVia, we are making love visible at every traffic stop.
Sources: Independent news and research on police-community relations thetrace.org,bjs.ojp.gov, GoVia’s public materials, and user testimonials. pbs.org have been cited to provide data and context.
Sources: Independent news and research on police-community relations
(Bulletin: 10 Years. 25 Departments. $3.2B in Misconduct Fees.)
(Blog – Govia: Hightlight A Hero)
(Contacts Between Police and the Public, 2018 – Statistical Tables),
GoVia’s public materials (Revolutionizing Police Community Interactions Through Technology: GoVia Highlight A Hero – Govia: Highlight A Hero)
(Blog – Govia: Hightlight A Hero), and user testimonials
(Reviews – Govia: Highlight A Hero)
(App connects drivers with lawyers to de-escalate police interactions during traffic stops | PBS News)
