Daniel DisabatoJan 14, 2023
Qasim Rashid, Esq.

I'm sharing this as an actual solution to empower civilians.

Please check out TurnSignl, an app founded by Black civil rights lawyers. It lets you video call a lawyer asap through voice activation or single touch when police pull you over. The lawyer manages & records the entire convo w/police & works to get you home safe.

It's like $7/mo and free for low income people. It's in a few dozen states & will be nationwide shortly. I have it myself.

See it here:

https://m.turnsignl.com/get_app/NbAW

TurnSignl

TurnSignl Admin Dashboard

Jan 13, 2023 at 12:49amWeb
Show threadlast senpaiJan 13, 2023

@QasimRashid I was hesitant to reblog this, because I'm a software developer and thought the $7/mo fee was for a recording app that's voice activated (i.e. trivial shit.)

But this dials actual lawyers, professionals who have to be on standby. THAT makes it worth the money!

Show threadQasim Rashid, Esq.Jan 13, 2023
@big that’s exactly the value. It’s on demand legal support from trained lawyers.
Show threadOregon Wine WomanJan 13, 2023
@QasimRashid excellent!
Show threadlast senpaiJan 13, 2023
@QasimRashid It might also be worthwhile to prototype recording/broadcasting devices in discreet form-factors that can stay on your person. Police do remove jewelry, pens and other loose objects, so something more bland, say, in the form of prescription glasses would be great.
Show threadCat C-BJan 13, 2023
@QasimRashid I hate that we live in a world where such tools are necessary. 💔
Show threadLeroy Sibole *Jan 13, 2023
@megmuttonhead @QasimRashid My thoughts too.
Show threadDragon-sided DJan 14, 2023

@megmuttonhead @QasimRashid Self defense -- including against your own State Apparatus -- has *always* been a personal responsibility.

If a society emerges where your protectors are absolutely benign and never use their powers for their own aggrandizement at your expense -- then you're not being governed by Fallible Mortals, and therefore have even bigger problems.

Show threadAndrew FJan 13, 2023
@QasimRashid Is it discreet? Does the lawyer say anything? What happens if the police tell you to turn it off?
Show threadGATEKEEPERJan 13, 2023
@QasimRashid
Brilliant
Show threadCharity FebJan 13, 2023
@QasimRashid Free for low income. Thank you for sharing this.
Show threadtoxtethogradyJan 13, 2023
@QasimRashid Given the case in LA, it sounds necessary...
Show threadJohn CarlsenJan 13, 2023

@QasimRashid

One of my pet peeves is when "civilians" is used to refer to "non-police".

In the USA, aside from MPs, all police officers are civilians too, not military, and should be reminded often that they are part of the body of people they serve.

Show threadbrowneyedgirlJan 13, 2023
@johnlogic definitely
Show threadSpaceLifeFormJan 13, 2023

@johnlogic @QasimRashid

50 Years ago, it was not like this.

The police would try to keep people out of trouble.

Show threadPamela EhnJan 13, 2023
@SpaceLifeForm @johnlogic @QasimRashid nope. They still killed people. It just wasn’t recorded.
Show threadGodless DocJan 14, 2023
@SpaceLifeForm @johnlogic @QasimRashid what planet were you living on?
Show threadJohn CarlsenJan 14, 2023

@GodlessDoc @SpaceLifeForm @QasimRashid

Take a look at LAPD Chief Parker, who started in 1950 and tried to change the image of his force from a bunch of thugs to professionals. (He had a good speech writer, a second-generation officer named Gene Roddenberry.) His department became a model for the nation, but still racist and brutal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_H._Parker_(police_officer)

William H. Parker (police officer) - Wikipedia

Show threadGodless DocJan 14, 2023
@johnlogic @SpaceLifeForm @QasimRashid I was referring to the “50 years ago it wasn’t like this.” When it actually was, we just didn’t all have cellphones.
Show threadSpaceLifeFormJan 14, 2023

@GodlessDoc @johnlogic @QasimRashid

I've never been to LA, so I've not experienced that.

In my neck of the woods, it was better than it is today. Not saying it was great, just saying over time it has gotten worse. YMMV.

Show threadGodless DocJan 14, 2023
@SpaceLifeForm @johnlogic @QasimRashid do you remember the civil rights movement from the 1950’s and the 1960’s? It was a barrel of laughs for POC.
Show threadSpaceLifeFormJan 14, 2023

@GodlessDoc @johnlogic @QasimRashid

Yes I remember. I am just saying it is even worse today. Fascists want to remain in power.

If one does not agree with them, they will attack you financially. If you are poor, they want to make sure that it stays that way. The fascists always have a bogeyman.

Show threadGodless DocJan 14, 2023
@SpaceLifeForm @johnlogic @QasimRashid when you say it’s “worse today”, what specifically are you referring to?
Show threadJohn CarlsenJan 14, 2023

@GodlessDoc @SpaceLifeForm @QasimRashid

Obviously I can't speak for SpaceLifeForm, but nearly 100 years of militarization of police in the USA seems to be an ongoing trend.

As this piece points out, it started as an unintended consequence of prohibition:

https://fee.org/articles/the-militarization-of-americas-police-a-brief-history/

Within recent decades, I've seen police get retired military equipment and given exceptions to gun control laws. So, to get the good guns, gangs now just steal their SWAT vans.

The Militarization of America's Police: A Brief History

Thanks to the Pentagon's 1033 program, which allows law enforcement agencies to get their hands on DOD technology, and the Bush-era War on Terror, American police have received a startling amount of heavy-duty, military-grade hardware.

Foundation for Economic Education
Show threadGodless DocJan 14, 2023
@johnlogic @SpaceLifeForm @QasimRashid I think they started out as slave patrols.
Show threadmyopicJan 13, 2023

@QasimRashid Great initiative!

But, the fact that the most powerful democratic nation needs an app like this is quite shameful!

Show threadbrowneyedgirlJan 13, 2023
@QasimRashid as a deafie, the first thing that popped into my head is that this could be super useful for deaf folks too. not for trying to terp so much (yikes) but definitely for recording what's going on since cops get upset when deaf folks don't instantly obey them (bc...we don't know what they said...) so having a hearing witness & recording could be super useful here too.
Show threadPamela EhnJan 13, 2023
@browneyedgirl @QasimRashid omg yes! Deaf and autistic people die all the time because we’re unable to instantly follow commands.
Show threadKoraunuiPakehaJan 13, 2023
@QasimRashid So that's $7 / mo to maybe reduce the risk of being killed vs $8 / month for a blue blob?
Show threadJesseJan 13, 2023
@QasimRashid Do you have any affiliation with them besides being a user?
Show threadDale RossJan 13, 2023
@QasimRashid Change training and emphasis. Assuming the adversarial combat mode as default may help keep officers alive under a subset of circumstances, it's not what's needed in most interactions. What they should do first is grasp the psycho-emotional situation, process through the mechanism of empathic modeling. Then, they can opt for warrior mode if reason requires.
Show threadAuntie MameJan 13, 2023
@elmadagdale @QasimRashid until that happens, there’s an app.
Show threadKevin Karhan Jan 13, 2023
@QasimRashid I wish it was available internationally tho.
Show threadThomasJan 13, 2023
@QasimRashid
What a great idea, I bet it won't be well received by those in law enforcement.
Show threadA Little Bit HumanJan 13, 2023
@QasimRashid thank you for sharing this! How has your experience with it been so far?
Show threadSoshemayJan 13, 2023
@QasimRashid this sounds great, another needed roadside assistance.
Show threadTyphoid MangoJan 13, 2023
@QasimRashid this is cool, you should tag #blackmastodon
Show threadMichaelJan 14, 2023
@QasimRashid
It'd be great if someone created an app like this for cops: When they pull over a person of color, the cop's phone calls a lawyer who then helps guide the officer through the encounter so they don't violate civil rights and/or murder folks.
Show threadDragon-sided DJan 14, 2023
@QasimRashid Love this, but installing the app is a big step. This is the link you should share https://www.turnsignl.com/
TurnSignl | On-Demand Lawyer App

TurnSignl | On-Demand Lawyer App
Show threadGabriela Noriega 🏳️‍⚧️ 🇧🇷Jan 14, 2023
@QasimRashid This sounds amazing.
Show threadLeianoraJan 14, 2023
@brooklynmarie @QasimRashid Can I just say how fucked up it is that we need something like this to protect us from our own fucking cops?
Show threadPJ "Vote Green" CoffeyJan 14, 2023

@QasimRashid

For more I think the creator is on here #turnsignl

Show threadregphuntJan 14, 2023
@QasimRashid Cashing in on terrorism. Good work. 👍😎
Show threadGreg HaasJan 14, 2023

@QasimRashid @regphunt
But is the War on Terror over?

Are you saying this app and service are some kind of ambulance chasing?

Show threadregphuntJan 14, 2023
@izzaboo @QasimRashid When we're at a point that PoC feel the need to call in reinforcements when interacting with law enforcement, it should be obvious to all of us that they are victims of police terrorism.
Capitalizing on that need is gross.
Show threadGreg HaasJan 14, 2023

@regphunt @QasimRashid

This service should be offered by every state’s public defender’s office, imo.

And, in the meantime, somebody needs to act to reduce the violent interactions caused by “the bad apples” in law enforcement.

Show threadregphuntJan 14, 2023
@izzaboo @QasimRashid Offered by the state or nonprofit like the ACLU.
But no it's not bad apples, it's the law enforcement system.
Show threadGreg HaasJan 14, 2023
@regphunt @QasimRashid
And there continues to be two sets of rules. One for those with a lawyer and one for those without.
Show threadregphuntJan 15, 2023
@izzaboo @QasimRashid To varying degrees, depending.
Show threadGreg HaasJan 14, 2023

@QasimRashid

May be a stupid question but do the attorneys then invoice the callers?

That is, are callers going to be surprised with a bill from the lawyer days later?

Are those potential fees stated before the call is made?

Are the legal services included in the subscription fee?

I didn’t see info about this in the turnsignl FAQ.

Show threadTheOtherRaeJan 15, 2023

@QasimRashid Posted a description and link to this post over on my #CoSo account as the site has a lot of US users.

After seeing countless videos on social media over the years, of people being harrassed, wrongfully arrested, assaulted and even killed by cops in the US, I would describe this app as being potentially lifesaving.

Show threadFessupJan 16, 2023
@QasimRashid Good for abused women running? You know cops aren’t always trained to recognize victims.
Show threadHistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴Jan 16, 2023
@QasimRashid
#TurnSignl
Show threadWalter K. LewJan 23, 2023
@QasimRashid I love the concept, will check it out. I cd have used it to avoid two of the worst encounters I've ever had in my life. I'm Asian, but Black lawyers wd have immediately understood the shit that was happening.