Over the last few years, school safety has become an increasingly important topic across the country. The Florida Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw worked to develop the innovative StudentProtect App. The StudentProtect App is a tool that provides channels for the community to communicate any concerns they may have, as well as instant alerts and notifications.
“The key here is information flow,” says Sheriff Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. “We want to prevent these things before we have to respond.” Sheriff Bradshaw also discusses three of the most important aspects in solving school violence: information flow, mental health, and in-school protection.
The StudentProtect App works to solve the information flow and mental health awareness. With this app, students and parents have the opportunity to report any suspicious behavior and threats within the school community. Students can also report concerns over mental, social media and bullying.
Tips, which have the option to be submitted anonymously, are connected to school police. Officials then decide the best course of action. By having one network of information, the app ensures messages are being turned into the appropriate agencies. In the case of an emergency, there is also an instant 911 call feature. When called, an exact GPS location is sent to law enforcement and first responders.
In addition to students and parents being able to communicate their concerns and emergencies with law enforcement, the StudentProtect app is tailored to each specific school and will send instant alerts and notifications about threats and security concerns in that district.
“We believe this app, which is more than just an app, it’s a very, very important piece of technology, will allow students and parents to report to the right people,” states Sheriff Bradshaw.