Colorado Offers Safe2Tell School App To Florida

From Safe2Tell: Attorney General Cynthia H. Coffman has reached out to Florida Attorney General Pamela Bondi to offer her condolences and support after the school shooting February 14th in Parkland. As Florida’s leaders engage in important conversations about school safety at both the local and statewide level, Attorney General Coffman has offered Colorado’s proven Safe2Tell model and resources to Florida.

“Unfortunately Colorado understands, as perhaps few others can, the complicated challenges Florida faces in the wake of this profound tragedy,” said Attorney General Coffman. “One of the most successful tools we developed in Colorado after the Columbine High School shootings, is our statewide school safety bystander-reporting program, Safe2Tell. We will work with Florida as they implement a similar school safety program to empower their students.”

Generals Coffman and Bondi talked in person earlier this week during the National Association of Attorneys General meeting in Washington D.C. Coffman offered to send Safe2Tell staff to Florida as the students and school community move through their recovery process. “We want to share our unique perspective with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School family when the time is right,” said Coffman.

Safe2Tell serves as the statewide bystander reporting resource for concerns in Colorado. The Safe2Tell reporting line was developed specifically to encourage those with information about a possible event to report it. Trained Colorado State Patrol Communication Officers answer calls, web reports, and mobile app tips twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The answering point is live and provides an opportunity for a two-way dialogue with trained experts and the ability for law enforcement to respond immediately to eminent crisis. When action is warranted, information is immediately forwarded to local school officials, mental health professionals, and law enforcement agencies.

Safe2Tell follows up with the school and responding agencies to ensure that the tip was investigated and that action was taken. The assurance that appropriate action will be taken is helping persuade young people to move away from a code of silence and to take a stand.

Safe2Tell was the 1st of its kind, and is one of the most viable long-term solutions in Colorado for advancing school and community safety. Since 2004, Safe2Tell has received over 42,000 calls, web tips and mobile app reports demonstrating an increasing growth of the program year after year. During the 2016-2017 school year Safe2Tell received 9,163 tips. From August-January, during the 2017-2018 school year Safe2Tell has received 7,575.

The Safe2Tell Data Report from the 2016-2017 school year, and the Data Report so far for the 2017-2018 school year can be found at:https://www.safe2tell.org/results

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