LANSING - The Michigan State Police hopes it has the number to stop violence in schools.
Police, education and government officials unveiled a new anonymous hotline Wednesday for students, parents and teachers to report threats in Michigan’s schools. The number, 1-800-815-TIPS, is operated 24 hours a day, year-round.
“It’s a number we want every student to remember,” said Col. Michael Robinson, director of the Michigan State Police. “It’s a number that every student - elementary, middle, high school and even college - can use to report acts of violence.”
Police already have received about six tips to the hotline, which have resulted in investigations for weapons and an assault threat. Robinson said those tips were not from the Lansing area.
The hotline is intended to be used to report threats of violence, weapons or bullying in schools - but is not a replacement for 911, he said. The State Police are also working to support other programs throughout the state.
“Behavior problems associated with bullying harbor hate, anger and conflict that don’t belong in any of our schools,” Robinson said.
Hotline operators will forward information from callers to local 911-dispatch centers throughout the state. Operators will not ask for the identities of callers, but may interview them for further information.
“We’ll be doing that as gently in many cases as we can,” Robinson said. “We all want these children to feel comfortable calling.”
The idea for the hotline, funded by the state Legislature with a $50,000 appropriation, was pushed by Reps. Cameron Brown, R-Sturgis, and Patricia Lockwood, D-Fenton.
Lockwood became a proponent of such a hotline after attending a memorial service for victims of the bombing at the federal building in Oklahoma City, while Brown pushed for the item in the House Appropriations Committee.
“If we can prevent one thoughtless act of violence then all our efforts will be worthwhile,” Brown said.
Donald Weatherspoon, director of the Department of Education’s Office of Safe School, said he hopes the number can become as commonplace as 911 for students and parents.
“I think the message we really want to send is prevention,” he said.
And for John Grant, who works on the front lines of school safety every day as director of school security for the Lansing School District, the initiative is a welcome tool.
The district already offers programs for students to promote conflict management.
“We work very hard to have safe, orderly, drug-free and weapons-free schools every day,” Grant said.
