State takes a step for more school safety

Abbott releases plans for anonymous reporting app to be called ‘I Watch Texas’

AUSTIN — Texas will launch an anonymous reporting app so students can report suspicious behavior to prevent more mass shootings in schools, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday.

The app, called “I Watch Texas,” will allow students to report any concerning behaviors in schools or warning signs they may see on social media and outside of school buildings. The state plans to launch the app next month, Abbott said.

Schools in other states are already using similar applications, and more districts plan to begin using the tool in the wake of recent mass shootings. School districts, like Huffman ISD, also have telephone tip lines to report problems.

The North Carolina legislature is considering a measure that would allocate $5 million for an anonymous tip app for students.

In Florida, following the Parkland shooting, the state’s department of education and the attorney general’s office began working on an app called “Fortify FL.” It will allow people to anonymously report “unsafe, potentially harmful, dangerous, violent or criminal activities” to local law enforcement, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Sandy Hook Promise, a Newtown nonprofit formed by parents after the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, launched the “Say Something“app, earlier this year, with a chilling video.

Tips can be submitted by telephone, a mobile app, or via the Say Something website. The nonprofit says the app is free for schools to use.