Two Georgetown U Students Create Smartphone App to End Police Violence

From shutting down Interstate 395 to gathering outside of the White House, there has not been a shortage of Ferguson protests around D.C.

As police activity and violence become highly discussed topics, two Georgetown University students created an app to make a change.

Brandon Anderson and Joseph Gruenbaum founded SWAT, Safety With Accountability & Transparency, as a step in ending police brutality. The app allows users to record police interactions in real time. The video is saved to secure servers and a complaint is automatically filed. Users can also stay up to date on the investigation involving the recording.

According to CNN, Anderson lost his partner due to police brutality and the lack of evidence prevented charges.

Read more: Your Photos: Hundred March in Georgetown to Protest Ferguson Decision

While there are restrictions on public audio recordings, video recording the police in public is legal.

Another part of SWAT’s mission is to educate the public on what is allowed when interacting with officers.

“Three-quarters of a million people experience police violence in the United States every year. More than a million criminal cases are compromised each year because lack of evidence,” according to SWAT’s website. “Many people don’t know their rights when it comes to their interactions with police - including the right to record.”

Anderson and Gruenbaum are hoping to release SWAT by the spring, CNN reports. Volunteers can sign up to become a beta tester of the app.

For more information visit the SWAT website, Facebook, or Twitter.

Photo Credit: The SWAT App Facebook