One-line solution summary:
Hey, Blue! facilitates meaningful connection between police officers and the community they serve. #HeyBlue
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What specific problem are you solving?
Generations of oppressive policies and inhumane treatment have decimated the trust of communities while creating a nearly impenetrable barrier for police officers and community members to see each other as human. Police departments see community engagement and partnerships as key levers to drive crime down while community members want to see genuine efforts toward connection and empathy.
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Pitch your solution.
The Hey, Blue! app incentivizes positive interactions between community members and police officers. Each positive interaction is a tangible, meaningful connection that will build trust and foster engagement in the community while also allowing community members to accrue positive interaction points to access rewards: household necessities, school supplies and through innovative municipal partnerships, the ability to use positive interaction reward points to pay fines for violations/civil penalties. Through exciting partnerships with national organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters, Hey, Blue! will match every participating police officer with a "little" in the community they serve through the Bigs with Badges program.
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Our solution's stage of development:
Prototype: A venture or organization building and testing its product, service, or business modelAdd a comment
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Explain why you selected this stage of development for your solution.
Hey, Blue! has been facilitating meaningful connections between police officers in 25 departments and the communities they serve in over 14 states for the past 3 years through our events: Pre-K story time, The Hey, Blue! Plate Special and our proof of concept for the mobile application "Selfies for Change". We have been highlighted on NBC Nightly News as well as in a documentary with Life and Times Network. We have specifically tested the proof of concept for the Hey, Blue! mobile application via Selfies for Change events in Westfield, Indiana and Melbourne, Florida. We were able to engage police officers and community members to participate to have over 1000+ positive interactions raising over $3400 for 8 local families in need. We have been receiving interest to bring our proof of concept to new departments daily.
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Where are you based?
Melbourne, FL, USAAdd a comment
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Solution Team
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John Verdi Founder, The Hey, Blue! Initiative of the Verdi EcoSchool
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Solution Name
Hey, Blue!
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