DENVER \u2014 Since the Columbine High School killings, Cynthia Coffman has seen seven Colorado school shootings in her 15 years with the Colorado Attorney General\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s one reason the outgoing state attorney general is thrilled that calls to Colorado\u2019s Safe2Tell program were up by almost 50 percent in 2018.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs attorney general in a state that has experienced seven school shootings since the infamous attack at Columbine High School, I understand the absolute necessity of information sharing between and among schools and districts, their law enforcement partners, social services agencies, mental health providers and the judicial system,\u201d Coffman said.<\/p>\n
FOUNDED AFTER COLUMBINE<\/p>\n
Safe2Tell was founded in Colorado in 2004, after Colorado\u2019s Columbine High School shooting that left 15 people dead and many more wounded.<\/p>\n
The Safe2Tell provides an anonymous venue for parents, students, teachers, school administrators and law enforcement to share information.<\/p>\n
According to\u00a0Safe2Tell data<\/a>, in 81 percent of violent incidents in U.S. schools, someone other than the attacker knew it was going to happen but failed to report it. Typically, people fear of being a \u201csnitch,\u201d or that the attacker would target the informant.<\/p>\n ANONYMITY IS KEY<\/p>\n Safe2Tell creates anonymity, said District Attorney Bruce Brown, with Colorado\u2019s 5th Judicial District.<\/p>\n \u201cSafe2Tell provides a great avenue for kids to fly under the peer pressure and alert school staff about their peers who may be doing more than testing boundaries,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThe increase in usage demonstrates that this avenue to communicate is filling a need both by phone and online.\u201d<\/p>\n The program has grown every year since 2004 when it was launched. In September 2018, a total number of 1,842 total reports were received \u2014 up 46 percent in monthly tip volume compared to September 2017.<\/p>\n \u201cThe numbers alone show the impact the Safe2Tell program has on breaking down the code of silence and empowering students to speak up for themselves and their friends,\u201d Coffman said.<\/p>\n TWO MORE TOOLS<\/p>\n Coffman released two more tools to help schools better protect students:<\/p>\n 1. Colorado School Safety Guide, researched and written by Sarah Goodrum, Ph.D., Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Northern Colorado, and William Woodward, M.P.A., Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado Boulder.<\/p>\n 2. The Attorney General\u2019s Office released an educational video with former Columbine High School Principal Frank DeAngelis, discussing the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The video focuses on the importance of information sharing between schools and law enforcement to protect students and staff from school violence. The video also works to clear up some of the confusion over the laws around information sharing.<\/p>\n Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 and\u00a0rwyrick@vaildaily.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n SAFE2TELL BY THE NUMBERS<\/p>\n 48,000: Number of calls, web tips and mobile app reports Safe2Tell has received since it was founded in 2004.<\/p>\n 1,842: Reports received in September 2018<\/p>\n 46 percent: Increase over September 2017<\/p>\n Source:\u00a0Safe2Tell<\/a>\u00a0and Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman<\/p>\n<\/div>\n