David Price's Safety Pouch, The College Project That Turned Into A Useful Invention To Save Lives, Is Now Sold At Walmart Stores

As AfroTech reported, David Price is the inventor of the Safety Pouch, a product created as a result of an entrepreneurship course led by instructor Kate Yoo McCrery.

She encouraged students to brainstorm a product that would solve a societal issue.

“This whole product was created so that Black drivers would not have to reach for their information to share with police officers during a traffic stop and risk the chance of being shot because they assumed that they may be reaching for a weapon,” Price told AfroTech in a previous interview.

What’s more, the vibrant wallet has yet to receive a poor review from customers, according to Prince. He also shares customers have told him the product has helped spark productive conversation.

“One of the great things about The Safety Pouch is not only is it a great tool, but it’s also a form of social commentary to show the extent to what measures Black drivers have to take to feel safe during a traffic stop,” he also told AfroTech.

Now, Price has received the opportunity as Walmart was looking to purchase 15,000 Safety Pouches, Nola.com reports.

While Price did not have that many on hand, he did have $80,000 to pay for more products from his manufacturer in China. 

However, Price hit another stumbling block — the inflated costs of shipping due to the Ukraine war and other circumstances. Therefore, he was short $30,000.

Fortunately, his family came to his rescue to cover the remaining costs and also helped him package all 15,000 products to Walmart by the deadline. This was a difficult period for Price as he was also attending Loyola University as a junior studying political science.

“It’s very easy to get overwhelmed,” he told Nola.com.

In the end, the obstacles were worth it.

Walmart will reportedly sell the Safety Pouch in the automotive departments of 400 stores.

“This is an incredible accomplishment because my goal has always been to help protect people by making the Safety Pouch as accessible as possible, but also make it kind of like as a statement piece,” Price told ESSENCE. “Because while the way I do see it as a solution in the short term, we need real policy change and legislation to help with police brutality during traffic stops—brutality in general. We need change. The Safety Pouch, I hope, can help inspire that.”