Michigan's OK2SAY safety program celebrates 10 years
(CBS DETROIT) - It's been 10 years since Michigan implemented the OK2SAY program, which allows students to submit confidential tips about things like mental health concerns and threats against schools.
"We get hundreds of calls a year," said Col. James F. Grady II, director of the Michigan State Police.
State officials marked OK2SAY's 10 years in operation outside of Lansing on Monday. The statewide service allows students to submit confidential tips via call, text, email or through the app.
"It's a wonderful resource for students to be able to call. It's confidential; they feed us that information, and then we have a role and responsibility to disseminate it and do the follow-up to again make sure we prevent any type of school violent activity," said Grady.
Last year reports on bullying, potential suicides and drugs were most reported through the system. According to Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, the program has received more than 60,000 tips over its first decade.
"It only works if people use it," Gilchrist said. "It's kids reporting if someone needs help, and so it's not just about leading to an arrest, but it's about a kid getting connected to support services."
On the question of the Oxford High School shooting, Gilchrist says he doesn't feel like the program failed.
"Yes, there were things submitted via Ok2Say at Oxford; it was a good thing that kids used that platform to be able to submit it —we hate that still kids got shot and killed, people got shot there, and so every one of those situations is an opportunity to figure out how many more things we can do to prevent violence," he said.
Looking ahead to the next 10 years of the platform, an official with the Michigan Department of Education says if OK2SAY needs to adapt to changing tech, it will.
"We adapt very quickly, which is kind of funny considering state government doesn't move very fast," said Diane Golzynski, a deputy superintendent with the Michigan Department of Education. "But in this case, when it comes to taking care of children and assuring that children have access to the resources they need so that they can live and do better, then that's really where we put our focus."