In the wake of another school shooting, local officials want to remind young people about a resource called SafeOregon.
It’s a website and tip line set up for students to report threats or concerns about their peers – anything that raises a red flag.
A door at Jackson Elementary School in Hillsboro shows a reminder about SafeOregon.
“So they might have heard something, seen something, read something and they don’t know what to do with that information or maybe what it means,” said Jodi Sherwood with SafeOregon. “So the tip line is there for them.”
The tips can be confidential or even anonymous. Once a school registers with SafeOregon, investigators know exactly who to contact if they learn about a potential threat.
“We pass that tip back out to our local partners and they’re going to work with county mental health and their threat assessment programs that they have locally and going to look to see if that individual is on a pathway towards violence and take steps to interrupt that pathway,” said Oregon State Police Major Tom Worthy.
One tip can save a life.
“Kids will use this if they have no one to talk to about a problem. They can use this and save lives,” said Zac, a junior.
Adds Railyn, a fifth grader, “Unsafe schools take away the learning experience from students who want to learn.”
Out of nearly 1,200 schools in Oregon, roughly 800 are registered with SafeOregon. To learn more about the program, go to SafeOregon.com.
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