Illinois-based citizen inventors collaborate with law enforcement to make traffic stops safer
OBJECTIVES
Raise funds (through crowdfunding) to produce and market StopShield, a simple safety device designed to reduce the likelihood of officer-involved shootings during traffic stops.
Highlight recent incidents of preventable gun violence which led StopShield’s inventors, Anthony and Liz Green, to collaborate with law enforcement in the design and testing of early prototypes.
Honor the client’s desire to promote the product neutrally, rather than taking an overt and vocal point of view on:
Race-based inequity (evidenced by the number of traffic stops involving Black drivers in the U.S.); and
The prevalence of such traffic stops ending in gun violence.
APPROACH
I produced this video on a pro-bono basis to assist with crowdfunding via Kickstarter, and for promotional use on the company’s website.
Primary footage and b-roll were gathered over two days of office-based and field interviews.
RESULTS
I undertook the project primarily because of a belief in the desired outcome: greater citizen and officer safety during traffic stops. The initial Kickstarter campaign, featuring the video, ran for 30 days and raised over $7,500.
