Halfway through the school year, Safe2Tell tips are up 23% over last year

Feb. 11, 2020 (DENVER, Colo.) — Safe2Tell released a mid-year report today, which shows that at the halfway point in this school year Safe2Tell has received 13,639 tips, a 23% increase over the 2018-2019 school year.

The mid-year report includes data from January. Last month, the program received 2,154 tips, a 17% increase in monthly tip volume compared to January 2019. Suicide threats (415), drugs (180), and bullying (147) continued to be the top categories of tips reported to the program in January, as well as overall at this point in the school year.

“With the combined efforts of our Safe2Tell team members, who are raising awareness about the program and its proper usage throughout Colorado, and our students and community members who are using Safe2Tell to report concerns, we are working together to keep our schools safe,” said Attorney General Phil Weiser. “As indicated by the data, we are continuing to cultivate a healthy reporting environment, an essential element in school safety.”

Duplicate reports, tips regarding a concern or event that had already been reported, are up 80% so far this school year, indicating students are continuing to break the code of silence.

“A proactive school safety culture addresses all concerns and threats with equal importance. No matter how big or small you perceive a safety concern to be, adults want to know so they can intervene and help prevent tragedies from occurring in your schools and communities,” said Essi Ellis, director of Safe2Tell.

False tips remain at approximately 2.5% of all tips submitted so far this school year. False tips are those that contain untrue information and are submitted with the intent to harm, injure, or bully another person.

In January, anonymous tips from students and other individuals successfully helped prevent incidents of self-harm and illegal activity. For example:

  • Safe2Tell received a tip about a planned act of violence. Police investigated and a citation was issued.
  • Safe2Tell received a tip about a safety concern. A welfare check was conducted, resulting in a person receiving help.

The following is an example of misuse of the Safe2Tell system:

  • A Safe2Tell tip was reported about a school cafeteria’s lack of food options.

Safe2Tell is a successful violence intervention and prevention program for students to anonymously report threats to their own, and others’, safety. Safe2Tell is not an emergency response unit; it is a conduit of information 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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CONTACT
Lawrence Pacheco, Director of Communications
(720) 508-6553 office | (720) 245-4689 cell
Email: Lawrence.pacheco@coag.gov