Kelly VanCleave, student at South High School, demonstrates how to use the new Speak Up text messaging system.
Students can use texts and web to keep schools safe
Wichita Public Schools students for the first time have the ability to provide anonymous tips to keep schools safe by using text messaging and their school’s website. The district’s Crime Stoppers in Schools program announced the Speak Up program, which allows students, staff and parents the ability to send anonymous tips through a secure website. The funding for the services is provided by Crime Stoppers of Wichita/Sedgwick County and Target.

“The popularity of text messaging has created a significant opportunity for our students to contribute to a safe learning environment,” said Michele Zahner, Supervisor of Police-School Programs. “We have 24 schools that participate in Crime Stoppers in Schools, but we anticipate that with the Speak Up program, more schools will get involved.”

“We know what’s going on and we hear things at school, but a lot of students may not be comfortable going to an adult to share what they know. This way, they can share tips in private,” said Tessa Gehrer, junior at South High School.

Students can text SPEAKUP plus their tip to CRIMES (274637) or log on through their school's website.

Wayne Adams, student at South High School, demonstrates how to use the new Speak Up website to report tips.

Representatives from Safe and Drug Free Schools will begin handing out cards with the text message number to middle and high school students beginning the first week of February. Every middle and high school will have the Speak Up logo on their web page to link students to the website.

Speak Up allows anyone to share information that will be anonymously received. The service offers submission of tips through both a secure website online, as well as text messages that are encrypted and routed through secure servers to protect the sender.  In either case, the user is given an alias and a unique ID before the message is sent to the school. This allows the user and the school representative to have a two-way dialog without revealing the sender’s identity.

Schools will continue to use the more traditional methods for gathering tips, including a CSIS locker, tip box in the office, and “Crimes of the Week” shared during morning announcements. The Crime Stoppers in Schools program was started in 1992. It allows students to anonymously report any safety issue or crime that has happened or may happen in their schools or in their neighborhoods.





February 1, 2010