Safe2Tell releases annual report: Tips decrease in 2020-2021 school year

Report volume began to trend toward pre-pandemic levels in spring of 2021

Dec. 14, 2021 (DENVER, Colo.) — Today, Safe2Tell released its annual report for the 2020-2021 school year. The report provides an overview and analysis of tip data submitted to Safe2Tell during the last school year and program highlights. It also includes recommendations on how to improve the program.

From Aug. 1, 2020, through July 31, 2021, Safe2Tell received a total of 11,388 tips, and 95.2% of those were actionable tips—excluding test tips, duplicate reports, pranks, and hang-ups. This is a 45% decrease in the number of tips received compared to the 2019-2020 school year, following continuous increases in tip volume for the previous several years. Monthly tip volume began to increase in March of the 2020-2021 school year as schools began to transition away from online learning that was initiated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tips regarding suicide (2,305), drugs (616), and bullying (415) continue to be the top threats reported to Safe2Tell. The highest volume of reports was submitted via phone (35%), followed by mobile browser (26%), mobile app (20%), and web browser (19%).

Of the 11,388 tips received by the program, 619 were reported by a person concerned about their own wellbeing. Of those, 107 were mental health related. Safe2Tell tip analysts offered all who called the option to connect with Colorado Crisis Services, and six people who called regarding their own mental health concerns agreed to be transferred.

Safe2Tell also provided those who submitted tips via the website and mobile app with the contact information for Colorado Crisis Services.

“As Colorado students continue to navigate the pandemic and its impact on their daily lives, we must all remain vigilant and do what we can to ensure their safety,” said Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. “This holiday season, which can be stressful in the best of times, is now a time that calls for enhanced awareness of school safety challenges and of health and wellness amidst a pandemic and the end of a very stressful year. Together, we can provide support and resources for our students.”

“Our commitment to Colorado students exists every day of the year, regardless of the challenges they are facing,” said Safe2Tell Director Stacey Jenkins. “During the past year we continued to reach out to our communities—including through COVID-19-specific, statewide outreach made possible by CARES Act funding appropriated to Safe2Tell by the General Assembly—to remind them that Safe2Tell is always available.”

Of the total number of tips the program received during the 2020-2021 school year, 1.7% were false, a decrease from 2.1% during the 2019-2020 school year. False tips contain untrue information and are submitted to the program with the malicious intent to harm, injure, or bully another person.

Some recommendations in the report to improve the Safe2Tell program based on available data include:

• Provide students with a voice in the program’s approach to breaking the code of silence and promoting a healthy reporting culture through a student ambassador program.
• Encourage collaboration among school teams, law enforcement agencies, and mental health partners by providing resources for developing and maintaining high-functioning multidisciplinary teams.
• Improve accessibility to reporting, program information, data, and materials through an updated Safe2Tell website, optimized for mobile devices. Work is underway for this recommendation.

In accordance with C.R.S. § 24-31-611, the Safe2Tell Annual Report is submitted to the Education and Judiciary Committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Colorado General Assembly.

The monthly report for November 2021 was also released today. Safe2Tell received 1,973 tips in November, a 3.7% decrease in tip volume compared to October 2021. Click here to view the report.

Safe2Tell is a successful violence intervention and prevention program for youth and community members to anonymously report threats to their own and others’ safety. Safe2Tell is not an emergency response unit, nor does it provide crisis counseling services; it is a conduit for distributing anonymous tips to local law enforcement, school officials, and other appropriate responding parties according to state law.

To make a report, individuals can call 1-877-542-7233 from anywhere, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Reports also can be made at Safe2Tell.org or through the Safe2Tell mobile app which is available on the Apple App Store or Google Play.

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