Superintendents say Safe 2 Say system another layer of protection for students
Michele Dowell, superintendent of Belle Vernon Area School District, accesses the Safe 2 Say Something system where anonymous tips can be made for possible life-threatening incidents.
The Safe 2 Say school reporting program has yielded tips that prompted police intervention across the state.
Across Pennsylvania, a new school safety reporting system has gotten underway.
In its first six weeks, Safe 2 Say Something fielded more than 7,070 tips, and almost a third of those were considered serious enough to report to local police and school officials, according to Joe Grace, director of communications with the state attorney general蘑菇视频 office.
While superintendents in Connellsville Area and Belle Vernon Area school districts said only a handful of concerns were called in for their districts, both said the program offers another way for students to feel safer.
It is, said CASD Superintendent Joseph Bradly, 鈥渁nother layer of reporting.鈥� The district already encourages its students to report concerns to an adulted in the school or the district蘑菇视频 police.
鈥�(Safe 2 Say) has provided yet another way for students to safely report threats,鈥� Bradley said.
The Safe 2 Say system launched on Jan. 14, and all of the state蘑菇视频 500 public school districts, private and charter schools rolled out the program.
Users are encouraged to report troubling behavior, talk, social media posts or other situations tipsters believe could pose a danger in school.
According to Safe 2 Say Something蘑菇视频 statistics, 80% of school shooters told someone of their plans, and 70% of people who complete suicide confided in someone and gave other warning signs.
Users have three options for reporting a concern: a Safe 2 Say Something app that can be loaded onto mobile devices; the safe2saysomething site at www.safe2saypa.org; or the hotline phone number, 844-723-2729.
Anyone can send a tip to Safe 2 Say, and that information is funneled to the attorney general蘑菇视频 crisis center that is open 24/7.
In the first month-and-a-half, 1,439 tips were determined 鈥渓ife safety鈥� tips that included suicide threats and situations where students may have harmed others had there been no intervention, said Grace. Tipsters also reported incidents of bullying, harassment and mental-health issues.
Michele Dowell, the superintendent with the Belle Vernon Area School District, said her district has received nine referrals.
鈥淚 cannot say if it has helped or not as we have had an anonymous tip line in our school district for a while now so we already had a system in place,鈥� Dowell said, adding that they haven鈥檛 had what would be considered a life-saving report yet.
So far, 622,000 Pennsylvania students have been trained through Safe 2 Say, but some have used it for false reports or pranks.
The false report rate for Safe 2 Say is less than 1%, according to the attorney general蘑菇视频 office. Making a false report under the program is a misdemeanor criminal offense.
Bradley said the prank calls they鈥檝e received have been about 1%of the calls, and because the system is anonymous, it蘑菇视频 a challenge to find who made a prank call as the district would have to first get a court subpoena to receive the caller蘑菇视频 information.
鈥淲e would prosecute and look at ways to recoup the costs CASD spent on a prank or false accusation,鈥� Bradley said.
鈥淲e did have two reports that were determined to be pranks or misinformation,鈥� Dowell said. 鈥淯nfortunately we don鈥檛 know who made the reports so we aren鈥檛 able to give any consequences.鈥�
Pennsylvania is the first state to implement Safe 2 Say Something in all districts, but the system isn鈥檛 perfect.
Dowell said she would like to see the state making sure the screeners taking the information are trained in what should be passed along to the district.
鈥淲e had a referral for inappropriate music too loud on the school bus,鈥� Dowell said, adding that it蘑菇视频 difficult for the district to be asked to investigate situations where very little information is given, which has led to a few upset parents who wanted more information than the district could provide.
Dowell said she believes the administrators work very hard to investigate reports.
鈥淚 believe the premise behind the program is good, but there are issues that need to be worked out as well,鈥� Dowell said. 鈥淚 am fully in support of stepping in at any point and time for the safety of a child, but not for things such as vaping at the local Dairy Queen.鈥�
Bradley said he would like to see the state provide funding for the system, which is an unfunded mandate.
Jared Edgreen, school police officer in West Greene School District, welcomed Safe 2 Say Something as another tool to help keep students, teachers and others safe.
鈥淚n this atmosphere in America today, we see an epidemic of multiple threats, not only with school shootings but with suicides and also cyberbullying, which is at an all-time high with the emergence of new apps and ways kids communicate with each other,鈥� said Edgreen.