Attorney General Phil Weiser’s office
Safe2Tell tip volume increased last month when compared to April 2020, according to the monthly report released recently.
In April, the program received 1,371 tips, a 41 percent increase in monthly tip volume compared to April 2020. This is the first increase in monthly tip volume over the previous school year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on Colorado schools.
To date for the 2020-2021 school year, Safe2Tell has received 9,157 tips, a 51 percent decrease from the 2019-2020 school year, which is likely due to delayed school openings and distance learning practices that are a result of the pandemic.
Suicide threats (247), welfare checks (122) and drugs (79) were the top categories of tips reported to the program in April.
“As we approach summer, we are continuing to remind students that Safe2Tell is available throughout the year, including during the pandemic and in the summer when school is not in session,” said Attorney General Phil Weiser. “As this month’s tip examples demonstrate, reports about both in-person and virtual threats have the potential to protect Colorado’s youth from harm.”
False tips are down to 1.6 percent from the previous school year’s 2.5 percent of all tips submitted to Safe2Tell, which is also likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. False tips are those that contain untrue information and are submitted with the intent to harm, injure or bully another person.
In April, anonymous tips from students and other individuals successfully helped protect students’ safety. For example:
• A person reported a post on a social media platform in which a student posted about suicide and self-harm. School mental health staff indicated they will follow up with the student.
• A person reported that a student was planning to fight another student after school. A school administrator spoke to the students and conducted a restorative conversation and agreement.
The following is an example of misuse of the program:
• A person requested that Safe2Tell send more police patrols to where they live. They were provided with contact information for their local law enforcement agency to make their request.
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 nor mental health counseling service provider; it is a conduit of information for distributing anonymous tips to local law enforcement and school officials pursuant to state law.
To make a report, individuals can call (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.
