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House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	June 21, 2018 12:15 PM
From:	Representative Margo L. Davidson
To:	All House members
Subject:	Establishing the Safe2Say Anonymous Tip Line for Schools

To: All Members of the House of Representatives From: Representative Margo Davidson Date: June 12, 2018 Subject: Establishing the Safe2Say Anonymous Tip Line for Schools Our nation has had to endure the unthinkable tragedy of a school shooting far too many times. We as legislators see the lives of these brilliant young people cut short and seek to do what we can to prevent more families from being torn apart from this kind of loss. One of the most prominent recent school shootings is that which occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people died at the hands of a single gunman. In the aftermath of the shooting, it was revealed that family, friends, neighbors and teachers had noticed warning signs that Nikolas Cruz could be capable of devastating violence, but it appears that little action was taken in response. That is why I propose to give schools just one more tool to safeguard students through the establishment of the Safe2Say program. The program, administered by the Office of Attorney General, would permit anonymous reporting of potentially unsafe, harmful, dangerous, violent or criminal activities, or the threat of such activities, in a school entity. The attorney general would be charged with establishing procedures to ensure prompt sharing of information between schools and law enforcement agencies, especially in cases where reports of violent or criminal activities pose an immediate threat to school safety. The bill, which is a companion to Senate Bill 1142 and based off the successful Safe2Tell program in Colorado, is meant to supplement, not replace, emergency services and police intervention. Safe2Say will give students, staff and community members an avenue to anonymously report unsafe conditions that may not rise to the level of criminal activity, and can provide security if an individual feels afraid to approach the police directly. Please join me in arming schools with one more method to safeguard our students. Your support is greatly appreciated. Any questions please email whaigood@pahouse.net .

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