DENVER — More Coloradans than ever reported problems to Safe2Tell in the 2023-2024 school year, according to the Colorado Attorney General's Office, which oversees the program.
“The rise in reports reflects both the increasing challenges young people are facing and the commitment of Safe2Tell’s trainers and ambassadors in building awareness across Colorado,” Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said. “Today’s students need support more than ever.”
Safe2Tell was created in response to the Columbine High School mass shooting to provide an outlet for community members to make anonymous reports about safety threats. It took about five years after the tragedy for the program to become officially operational.
20 years later, a record-breaking 28,218 Safe2Tell reports were submitted in the last school year, which is up from 22, 246 reports in the 2022-2023 school year.
The most reported issues were suicide, bullying, drugs and school threats. In the last school year, school complaints become the most-reported category for the first time in Safe2Tell's history.
"School complaints can cover anything around facilities that may not be safe to staff members engaging in conduct that itself is dangerous to a school doesn't take certain claims of sexual harassment seriously and has a policy that has to be changed," Weiser told Denver7.
Safe2Tell found nearly 97% of all reports last school year were true. The program considers false reports untrue information submitted with the intent to harm, injure or bully another person. Only 3.7% were deemed false.
Following credible reports, Safe2Tell said it got parents involved, got students in counseling, conducted investigations and welfare checks, and imposed disciplinary action or arrests when needed.
To make a report, anyone can call 1-877-542-7233 or online here or by texting S2TCO to 738477. There's also a Safe2Tell mobile app available on Apple and Google.
"Don't assume someone else will report it," Weiser told Denver7, "and if there are multiple reports, that's a sign of the severity of what's happening. This is a tool that's been proven time and time again to be effective and to help make a difference before it's too late."
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