The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
App allows students to send a text or photo of something suspicious to dispatchers
See something, text something.
That is the message the Willowick Police Department wants to get across to the students at Willowick Middle School.
In a proactive attempt to keep the students safe, police are rolling out the S.T.O.P. (Students Text Officers Protect) app.
The smartphone app allows students to send a text or photo of something suspicious to dispatchers who monitor the receiving phone 24 hours a day.
The S.T.O.P. app is only available to Willowick Middle School students. Willowick high school students do not attend school within the city.
The app was developed in response to recent school violence, according wto police Sgt. Bruce LaForge.
In a letter to the middle school parents, Chief Brian Turner said that past school shootings are linked by one prevalent piece of information and that is those who were interviewed about the shooter all said “we all knew it was going to be that kid,” but law enforcement was unaware.
“Research conducted by our department showed that over 90 percent of school shootings are associated with a current student,” Turner said in his letter. “We hope that if a student hears or sees something, they will say something, either to an adult of if they feel more comfortable, using this text application.”
The app isn’t just for
“We hope that if a student hears or sees something, they will say something, either to an adult of if they feel more comfortable, using this text application.” — Willowick Police Chief Brian Turner in a letter to parents
preventing possible school shootings.
“There’s all kinds of application for it (the app). We get calls all the time,” he said. “Parents call us and say, hey Suzy told us somebody in a red van is following them. Kids have their phones so all they have to do is snap a picture of that and it goes right to us.”
The department wants parents to explain to their children the importance of not abusing the app and to use 911 for emergencies.
LaForge notes there will be consequences for abusing the app.
“The app isn’t for emergencies, it’s for preventative stuff like if they hear something in the hallway that so and so is bringing a gun to school tomorrow,” he said. “Text it to us; we will go investigate it. Obviously tell your parents and everything
also.
“But if they are more comfortable texting us they now have that option,” he added.
The app is a private one. Students whose parents have signed a consent form can meet with LaForge and he will help them download the app.
LaForge will be at Willowick Middle School’s parent/teacher conference on Feb. 7, to answer questions from parents, take consent forms and help students download the app.