Colorado’s Safe2Tell program surpasses 100,000 actionable tips
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Eighteen years since Safe2Tell, an anonymous harm and violence prevention tip line for Colorado students, was created, the program has now surpassed 100,000 actionable tips.
That number doesn't include duplicates or false reports, but it highlights the program's use. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser's office helps run the program; it was created nearly two decades ago as a response to a major tragedy.
"After Columbine, people asked the really important question: What could have stopped this tragedy? One of the answers that came through loud and clear was that people knew about those planning a shooting in a school, but they didn't know where to go,” said Attorney General Weiser.
From that conversation came Safe2Tell. The anonymous tip line is used by Colorado students to report any threat against them, whether it’s bullying, self-harm, abuse, or violence.
Weiser says it’s been a lifesaver, literally.
"I am convinced Safe2Tell has saved lives," said Weiser. "We know that we've received tips that if not acted on when they were acted on, lives could and likely would have been lost. That includes lives where someone might be planning to hurt somebody else. It also includes people who might take their own life.”
The number one category for reports is suicide threats. It's a particularly troubling statistic when you realize these are children and teenagers crying out for help.
"The rate of teen suicide we're seeing in Colorado scares me deeply and calls for action," said Weiser. "I've got two teenagers and I know that the number one cause of death in Colorado for teenagers is suicide. Mental health is everything. If we don't find ways to support young people support their mental health, this crisis will only get worse. That's why we in our office are working to end the silence around this topic. We're working to support groups like Sources of Strength, which has peer-to-peer support for suicide awareness. People are hurting, particularly in this pandemic. It is OK to not be OK. It's not OK to not talk about it and get the help you need."
During the 2020-21 school year, Safe2Tell saw a dramatic 45 percent drop in tips. This is due in part to kids learning from home because of the pandemic. But the Attorney General admits more outreach, in general, is also needed to keep the tip line at the top of students’ minds.
"The biggest area that we need to improve is that of awareness," said Weiser. "We need to make sure that people know safety is here as a trusted, anonymous source for any concerns that could harm students. They can be reported, so they can be acted on. That's a constant challenge for us. We take it seriously.”
Students can send in tips to Safe2Tell via the program’s website, app, or phone number: 1-877-542-7233.
The latest data shows 2,423 tips were reported in the month of December 2021, a 23 percent increase from November.
