La. students can anonymously submit suspicious activity tips with new app
The Louisiana Department of Education created a mobile app for kids to report suspicious activity anonymously.
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – Every school year, alcohol, drugs, and guns are brought into schools.
The Louisiana Department of Education created a mobile app for kids to report suspicious activity anonymously.
"What we know from Crimestoppers is that kids tell each other, said Crimestoppers GNO President and CEO Darlene Cusanza.
State Superintendent Cade Brumley has partnered with Crimestoppers GNO and law enforcement to create a new school safety program called Safe Schools LA. They are encouraging school systems to adopt it.
"Say it here. The mobile app allows users to anonymously report bullying, violence, criminal activity, mental health at no charge, essentially to systems across the state," he said.
Officials say keeping danger out of classrooms isn't snitching. Students will be able to anonymously send tips about everything they hear that makes them feel uncomfortable.
"This is not just about taking weapons off the campus or drugs off a campus, which is incredibly important, but is certainly wrapping ourselves around all the other messages that every teen could face," Cusanza said.
Louisiana State Police Lieutenant Melissa Marty agreed
"We want it all and let us decide if it is not serious or not," she said.
The app is for teens made by teens. It's only been available for a few months, and Cusanza says they are already seeing the app make a difference.
"This week, we had two suicide attempts. The tips were called in by friends on the web. We were able to have interventions for those two kids," she said.
Marty says this app is not mandatory for every school district to use, however, it's the only program that brings, police, educators, and advocates, to the same space.
"And it's been basically designed by teams and it's going to work for them. So when you bring everybody to the table, it just it makes it that much better," she said.
Livingston Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, and Assumption Parish have adopted the app. Here are the others:
- Acadia Parish
- Assumption Parish
- Avoyelles Parish
- Bogalusa City Schools
- Bossier Parish
- Caldwell Parish
- Cameron Parish
- Central Community School
- City of Baker School District
- Claiborne Parish
- Concordia Parish
- East Feliciana Parish
- Evangeline Parish
- Franklin Parish
- Iberia Parish
- Jefferson Parish
- Lafourche Parish
- LaSalle Parish
- Livingston Parish
- Monroe City Schools
- Natchitoches Parish
- NOLA Public Schools
- Pointe Coupee Parish
- Rapides Parish
- Sabine Parish
- St. Bernard Parish
- St. Charles Parish
- St. Helena Parish
- St. James Parish
- St. John the Baptist Parish
- St. Martin Parish
- St. Tammany Parish
- Terrebonne Parish
- Vermilion Parish
- Washington Parish
- Webster Parish
- West Baton Rouge Parish
- Winn Parish
- Zachary Community Schools
If your school district is not listed unfortunately this app will not work for you. Officials say those that are not listed have another program of their choice that they are using. If you would like your school district to switch to Safe Schools LA, you are recommended to talk to your school district board members.