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Mother invents 'Not Reaching' pouch in hope of making traffic stops safer

Inspired by news coverage of police shootings during traffic stops, a mother came up with transparent pouches so officers know what drivers are reaching for.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento police have said numerous times that conducting traffic stops is perhaps one of the most dangerous parts of the job.

Lt. Vance Chandler of the Sacramento Police Department said what makes traffic stops so dangerous is the unknown.

"You don't know who you are stopping and what that person is potentially wanted for or what they've just done," Chandler said.

Jackie Carter said she found a way to make traffic stops safer for both the officer and the driver by founding Not Reaching, a business that sells transparent pouches to hold a driver's license and vehicle registration. It rests on the AC vent next to the driver’s window in plain view with the words "not reaching" front and center.

There are different types of pouches for different situations, such as a pouch that indicates the driver is deaf or has a gun. Carter said she came up with the idea after a Minnesota police officer shot and killed Philando Castile in 2016.

Castile's girlfriend said he told the officer he had a registered gun as he reached for his license. That was when the officer shot him seven times. Carter said her son turned 30 years old the day Castile was killed. It's a connection she said she couldn't let go.

"My question to law enforcement is what makes you nervous during a traffic stop, and every single law enforcement officer said reaching," Carter said.

Like many parents, especially Black parents, she spoke to her son about what he needs to do if a police officer were to pull him over: put your hands on the wheel and do not make any sudden movements.

"[Not Reaching] eliminates that reaching and makes it so it’s a more pleasant traffic stop," Carter said. 

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