Mission Statement
The Safe School Program to empower students to anonymously report illegal and unethical activities on and off campus, thus providing a safe environment for learning. This program can be at middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities. School Programs can be a student-led board of directors or be under the “umbrella” of the Board of Directors for Crime Stoppers of San Antonio. School Programs have been very successful in helping campuses curb violence, prevent the sale and abuse of drugs, and warn school officials and local police about pending violence on campuses and at school events. Overall, Safe School Programs help ensure a safer learning environment for all students.
School and police officials agree that most students want to do the right thing to keep their schools and neighborhoods safe but sometimes fear reprisals. The Safe School Program offers the safety of complete anonymity while promoting responsibility and allowing students to take action against victimization and crime. Students who step forward with anonymous tips leading to arrests will be eligible for cash awards through the program.
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When to Call:
• Maybe you overhear someone bragging about having committed a crime.
• Maybe you know someone who is driving a stolen car...or is hiding from the police...or is a robber or drug dealer.
• Or maybe you just see something that doesn't look right. A strange car. A person acting sneaky. Someone with a gun or knife.
If you aren't sure that what you saw or heard is really a crime, call anyway. Let the police decide if it's worth investigating. It may be a piece of a clue to a big crime.
The Program is NOT ….
The Safe School Program is not a substitute for the 9-1-1 emergency system. In the event of an emergency, students should contact a school administrator or teacher immediately!
Friends for Life
Students are encouraged to make healthy decisions and help a friend by anonymously reporting victims of bullying, family violence, gang activity, dating violence, sexual harassment and inappropriate relationships. These tips will be referred to counselors, and if necessary, law enforcement. Also, students may use the Safe School Program to report violations of school code and ethics.
How it Works
Phone:Calls are received at the local Safe School tip line phone. This phone is a stand-alone instrument which does not provide caller ID, and conversations are not recorded. Safe School Coordinator receiving the information completes the tips information form, makes initial inquiries and then passes the information to the investigating officer. Calls are accepted regarding any information, such as assaults, burglary, stolen items, drug possession or distribution, weapons or such other crime(s) the caller has knowledge of.
By guaranteeing a caller`s anonymity, the caller can give information in a positive atmosphere without the prospect of retribution. By offering cash rewards for information leading to apprehension and removal, the program encourages otherwise reluctant callers to provide information.
Online& Text: Tipsters have the option of providing tips online or text. The process is completely secure, anonymous, and is a very effective and efficient means of safely communicating with the Safe School Program. The very unique integrated Two-Way Dialog capability allows the tipster to come back and provide additional information to their tip at any time, but also provides a secure means for the coordinator to ask questions or provide reward information back to the tipster through the same secure and encrypted interface.
How to start a Safe School Program
• School Administrators and/or Campus Police may attend the non-executive portion of the Crime Stoppers Board Meeting. This is an opportunity to network with other school administrators and campus police. School representatives must be accompanied by a Crime Stoppers Board Member.
• Identify a school contact and an alternate for our Crime Stoppers Coordinators to call.
• Identify students (student council members and/or criminal justice students) to form a Safe School Student Board to review cases and recommend the amount of award(s) to the Safe School Coordinator.
• Advertise the Safe School Program in the school newspaper or posters in the hallways.
• Have a link to the Safe School Program on school and campus police home pages.
Texas Campus Crime Stoppers Conference
Safe School Coordinatorsand members of the Safe School Student Board can attend the Texas Campus Crime StoppersConference. Limited scholarships are available to schools starting a Safe School Program. Campus Police can receive 16 hours of credit for TCOLE / Program Certification Training. This conference provides an interactive and fun learning environment for both students and adults. Join other School Crime Stoppers leaders for this three-day training program that addresses common concerns for volunteer leaders of Crime Stoppers programs.
