Seattle schools to offer new reporting system for suspicious activity

A new phone app and computer program, SaferWatch, will be implemented in Seattle Public Schools (SPS) this fall for easier access to report threats of suspicious activity on school campuses, according to KOMO News.

The program’s goal is to provide a quicker and more efficient format for students to submit real-time alerts to potential threats through the app, text, or online.

Seattle Public Schools to implement SaferWatch this fall

Following the deadly shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school on Wednesday, efforts to secure students’ safety on campus have sparked local action to ensure kids can attend school without the worry of a potential threat.

Tony Montalto, a parent of a child who was killed in a Parkland school shooting, noted students are often the first to be alerted to suspicious activity through social media.

“Sadly, after each school shooting, you hear people come forward and say, ‘We knew about this,’ or, ‘We heard this piece or that piece,” Montalto said, according to KOMO News.

Montalto is the father of 14-year-old Gina Montalto, who was one of the 17 people killed in the 2018 Parkland school shooting. Montalto is the president of Stand with Parkland, a national organization centered around reforming public safety for children and staff at schools.

Stand with Parkland partnered with SPS to introduce the new SaferWatch system. The program can directly connect schools with law enforcement, send out mobile panic alerts, report anonymous tips, and provide live video feeds.

“We’re not trying to punish or incarcerate people,” Montalto said, KOMO News reported. “We’re trying to keep people safe, and that’s what we need to do. We need to look out for one another.”

SaferWatch has a 24/7 monitoring center that can receive reports of nefarious activity at all hours of the day and provide ample time for students, parents, and staff to make necessary arrangements to avoid possible threats. The SaferWatch program has already been deployed in Florida school districts to investigate and deter threats.

“The ability for real-time, two-way communication during emergencies empowers our staff, students, and families to respond swiftly and stay informed,” SPS Superintendent Fred Podesta said in a statement, according to KOMO News.

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