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To Make Schools Safer, Pennsylvania Establishes Anonymous Tip Line
Camille Aponte walks with her son, Nelson Laboy, as he returns to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, for the first time since February’s shooting. The tragedy has prompted many state lawmakers to consider the creation of anonymous tip lines. Mike Stocker/Sun Sentinel via AP
Pennsylvania will establish an anonymous tip line modeled on Colorado’s Safe2Tell program under school safety legislation signed by Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat. The state Attorney General’s Office will administer the program.
At least six states – Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming – have similar tip lines, which encourage students and community members to report concerning behavior, from bullying and drug use to planned school attacks. Officials in states that operate tip lines say that they save lives.
Other states have considered establishing such tools after 17 people were shot and killed at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in February. The school safety legislation Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, signed in response to the shooting established an anonymous reporting mobile app.
Arizona lawmakers proposed a bill that would have creating an anonymous reporting tool, but it failed to pass before the Legislature adjourned in May.
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