HPD to participate in the #WhatsMyName campaign

The Hoboken Police Department has joined the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association (NJ PBA) to promote the #WhatsMyName campaign.

In March of 2019 21-year-old Samantha “Sami” Josephson of Robbinsville, New Jersey, was kidnapped and murdered near the University of South Carolina by a man pretending to be her rideshare driver. In response to this tragedy, Sami’s family created the #WhatsMyName Foundation to honor their daughter, and to educate riders on rideshare safety, reminding them to always follow S.A.M.I.:  

• STOP – Review safety features in the app, so you know how to use them and what to look for before getting in a vehicle.
• ASK - Ask your driver "what's my name" to confirm they have booked a trip with you through the ride-sharing app.
• MATCH- Match the make, model, and license plate of the car with the one displayed in the app.
• INFORM - Share the details of your trip with a friend. Utilize the "share status" function in your ride-sharing app.

The tragedy also inspired “Sami’s Law,” which was created to protect anyone using popular ride-sharing apps. The law requires rideshare drivers to display identification materials including reflective and/or illuminated company markers, and visible credential placards.  

As part of this campaign, HPD will post rideshare safety tips on social media and the department’s website, hang banners in the community to educate the public, and work with other agencies and local businesses to spread this life-saving information on rideshare safety.  

“Countless people of all ages take ride-shares in Hoboken each and every day,” said Police Chief Steven Aguiar. “I wholeheartedly support this effort which will hopefully prevent a similar tragedy and protect other families from having to go through what Samantha Josephson’s loved ones had to endure.”  

"Our ultimate goal is to help save lives and help reduce sexual assaults around the rideshare industry," said Seymour Josephson, Sami's father and founder of the What's My Name Foundation. "This partnership with the Hoboken Police Department gives us the ability to connect with many more people and have a better opportunity to make the impact that is needed in the Hoboken community."

For more information on the #WhatsMyName Foundation, please go to  www.whatsmyname.org. Follow the Hoboken Police Department on Twitter at @HobokenPD.