FAQ

HI-TAPO, a free mobile app, is an innovative monitoring and social networking system designed to provide immediate support for individuals interacting with law enforcement; promote safety during stops; protect against potential rights violations; foster greater law enforcement accountability; and assist in community-building.

HI-TAPO instantly documents user interactions with law enforcement via streaming video, social sharing, and text and e-mail notifications to a pre-programmed network of up to 10 family members, friends, loved ones and civic and community organizations.

HI-TAPO is the creation of application developer and company CEO Martin Whitehead. He created HI-TAPO to help families and communities reduce the anxiety, stress and suffering that can result from law enforcement stops. He was especially inspired by the story of Philando Castile¸ who was stopped by police 52 times and, ultimately, was killed during a routine traffic stop.

For users:

• HI-TAPO promotes safe returns home following law enforcement stops for every person, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation or religion.
• HI-TAPO helps reduce stress and fear when encountering law enforcement
• HI-TAPO assures you are never alone when encountering law enforcement.
• HI-TAPO provides a community of support wherever you go.
• HI-TAPO helps minimize the amount of time you and your loved ones are unaccounted for and, possibly, vulnerable in the criminal justice system.
• HI-TAPO helps provide an extra layer of support.

For the community:

• HI-TAPO is an effective way for communities to monitor and share experiences interacting with law enforcement.
• HI-TAPO provides a mechanism for collaborative, fair and equitable oversight of local police, state troopers, sheriffs, ICE agents, and others.
• Hi-TAPO allows users to write a review of the interaction, including the officer’s name, badge number, the reason for the stop, use of force, if any, and a rating of the overall experience with a thumbs up or down.
• The HI-TAPO system will aggregate ratings and comments about interactions with law enforcement providing greater transparency, an opportunity for community-building, as well as a vehicle for highlighting well-trained officers who engage the community in a fair and equitable way.
• HI-TAPO also helps each community collectively map police stops of HI-TAPO users.
• HI-TAPO can work to remove distrust between officers and the communities they serve.

• HI-TAPO is user-friendly with an easy swipe-and-click or an audio activation.
• Once the HI-TAPO app is activated, live streaming of audio and video immediately begin to record the user’s interaction and GPS tracking pinpoints the location.
• Alerts are sent to those in the user’s network allowing them to listen to and view the interaction in real time.
• After activating HI-TAPO, the user can hit an “all-clear" button once the interaction has concluded and s/he is safe. However, if there is no all–clear signal given after a pre-determined amount of time, an SOS alert will automatically be sent to his/her network.

NO. The HI-TAPO app is available for free download to mobile phones through Google Play.

NO. When you subscribe to the paid HI-TAPO concierge service, the transaction is executed through a secure third-party payment system widely used in the retail industry. HI-TAPO does not receive your financial information.

NO. HI-TAPO GPS service only works when you are actively using the app.

If your phone is turned on, there is generally enough time to activate the app. Before starting your drive or walk, verify that your phone is charged and on. After you activate HI-TAPO, simply set your phone on the dashboard, cup holder or another location to capture your interactions. Please use good judgment when activating HI-TAPO. You may want to consider reviewing the HI-TAPO map in your area, which indicates where stops are being made.