Ohio Governor Mike DeWine recently announced several enhancements to the state’s free Safer Ohio School Tip Line (1-844-SAFEROH) that will make it easier for Ohioans to report school safety concerns.
In addition to calling and texting the tip line, Ohioans anywhere in the state now can report school safety information through a new smartphone app and online web form.
The new Safer Ohio School Tip Line smartphone app, available both on iOS and Android devices, and the online web form include pre-populated prompts to help users quickly upload information.
The tip line also will be newly staffed by crisis response professionals who are trained to help individuals contemplating self-harm.
Additional upgrades to the Safer Ohio School Tip Line include more flexibility for schools and law enforcement to increase the number of staff members who receive immediate tips. The call center, which is staffed by multilingual team members fluent in Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, German and Arabic, also is equipped with telephonic language translation for additional languages including Chinese, Japanese, Pennsylvania Dutch, Somali, Twi and Vietnamese.
School students, staff, parents and community members associated with any school in Ohio are encouraged to report any school safety concerns to the tip line including, but not limited to:
- Bullying incidents
- Withdrawn student behaviors
- Verbal or written threats observed toward students, faculty or schools
- Hazing
- Weapons/suspicious devices on or near school grounds
- Gang-related activities
- Unusual/suspicious behavior of students or staff
- Self-harm or suicidal sentiments
Those who report tips can choose to remain anonymous.
October 2023 marks the second annual Ohio School Safety Month. This year’s theme is
“Relationships for Safety,” which recognizes the impact that positive relationships between school staff and students play in maintaining a safe learning environment.
Governor DeWine developed the Ohio School Safety Center within the Ohio Department of Public Safety to be a comprehensive, statewide office focused exclusively on enhancing the safety of Ohio schools. In addition to maintaining and promoting the Safer Ohio School Tip Line, the center assists schools and first responders in preventing, preparing for, and responding to threats and acts of violence including self-harm. Staff also proactively scans social media and websites to identify threats against schools.