OAK GROVE, Mo — Missouri Highway Patrol’s Courage2Report hotline has been a lifeline for school districts such as Oak Grove that's helped improve student security.
“It's great because it logs everything for us and it does this first sort of the investigation for us and it connects us to the FBI, it connects us to local law enforcement, so wherever they see it they disperse it, they investigate it and it gets us the help that we need immediately," said Michelle Alexander assistant principal in the Oak Grove School District.
Every tip is made anonymously through either their text, call, app, or online service.
"It's really easy to do. Just type it in and you can do it anonymously and it doesn't have to be just an active threat," said Alexander. "It can be bullying, suicide, any kind of thing like that. You can report it.”
With more schools embracing the app as part of their safety protocols, the Oak Grove School District has experienced firsthand the benefits of this tool.
Oak Grove's safety coordinator Tracy Kemp emphasize that the number of tips has been instrumental in addressing concerns proactively and maintaining a secure environment for students and staff alike.
"When you start to see some of those trends and you think that that's something that you may encounter in your district, it gives you an opportunity to prepare for that," said Kemp.
According Missouri Highway Patrol, in 2023 there were 1,581 tips reported through the Courage2Report hotline. So far, since July 1 of this year, there have been 481 tips reported.
The top five reports for 2024 from July 1 to date:
- 102 School shooting threats.
- 47 Handle with care reports. (If a law enforcement officer encounters a child during a call, that child’s information is forwarded to the school before the school bell rings the next day. The school implements individual, class and whole school trauma-sensitive curricula so that traumatized children are “Handled With Care”. If a child needs more intervention, on-site trauma-focused mental healthcare is available at the school.)
- 27 Bullying/repeated harassment.
- 14 threat to kill.
- 14 planned school attack.
“We started kind of planning this campaign before school started, and the timing rolled out. We're doing a lot of our signs of suicide programs within our schools right now to help students recognize your peers and issues that they're having and how to talk through those things with them and get them help," said Kemp.
Parents and students are encouraged to download the Courage2Report app or access it via the hotline to report any safety concerns.
You can check out their website to learn more about Courage2Report.
KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon
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