Safe2Tell replaces Text-A-Tip
By Patte Smith
At the start of the 2020-21 school year, the Douglas County School District (DCSD) will streamline how concerned individuals report anonymous tips. Rather than operating both the Text-A-Tip and Safe2Tell programs, the District will only be using Safe2Tell moving forward.
Safe2Tell is a state-funded initiative of the Colorado Department of Law, Office of the Attorney General. The program focuses on children and youth and the issues they face – everything from bullying and physical threats, domestic violence and child abuse, assaults and harassment, alcohol and drugs, suicide threats, explosives, guns, knives and other weapons, stealing and vandalism and others. It was designed out of recommendations from the Columbine Commission Report that states that students need a safe and anonymous way to keep lines of communication open. The study realized that tragedies might be prevented if youth had a way to tell someone what they knew without fearing repercussions.
The Text-A-Tip program that was instituted in DCSD in 2009 allowed students to report anonymous tips to DCSD staff. The district realized the two programs were similar, and after testing the Safe2Tell program, decided it was effective, functional and would provide students and staff with a safe way to report tips to DCSD. It would also save taxpayer dollars.
Tips will remain anonymous and can be sent using the Safe2Tell app, through the website (https://safe2tell.org) or by phone to 877-542-7233. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the year. Parents and the community can also send tips to Safe2Tell.
For more information, visit https://safe2tell.org.
