Why the hell is it a smartphone exclusive app? Isn't the target audience largely underprivileged populations who might not have access to a smartphone?
Why do people want everything to be an app, when a website would do the job better?
Why do people want everything to be an app, when a website would do the job better?
This post (http://modelviewculture.com/pieces/it-s-not-you-it-s-the-sys...) mentions many ways well-intentioned projects can miss the mark, because of these kinds of issues.
A mobile app is more likely to be on hand and easy to open in case of a run-in. (Although it's not likely someone would remember to do so if something were happening)
However smartphones are surprisingly common among low income teens (http://www.businessinsider.com.au/low-income-teens-own-more-...). Eventually there probably won't really even be a smartphone/dumbphone distinction, just more or less expensive smartphones.
And of course in the United States, even middle and upper class Black teens are often targets of police harassment.