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Bauxite schools launch app so students can anonymously report threats

At Bauxite Public Schools, students now have access at the tip of their fingers to speak up about a threat.

BAUXITE, Ark. — School administrators and local police often say is, "if you see something, say something," but not often do you have a safe and secure way to speak up if a situation doesn’t seem right.

But at Bauxite Public Schools, students there now have access at the tip of their fingers to speak up.

"At night, if you saw something on Snapchat that someone was going to bring a gun to school the next day, you don't want to have to wait until 8 a.m. the next day to let someone know,” Lean Pinkerton explained to students. “You want to be able to tell us right away.”

Pinkerton is an administrator of the school. She explained Google Hangouts to high schoolers on Tuesday.

It’s an app all Bauxite students and administrators can access.

"We set up a phone number and email address,” said Pinkerton. 

Students can anonymously text or email a threat they heard or saw of any kind. It goes to every counselor and every administrator at the same time. 

"Responding to the threat is not just on one of us, we can all respond quickly to whatever the threat is, whether it's bullying, self-harm, or violence," Pinkerton said.

The students said they are all aware that if they see something, they should say something, but the common saying is easier said than done.

They revealed the latest app being utilized at their school could be a game changer in getting people to really speak up.

"I’m glad it’s anonymous because we don’t want to say something because we don't want to be a snitch,” said Alice Kinder, a student.

The purpose of the See Something Say Something App is to give administrators time to stop a threat well before it happens.

"They can text and email and say 'hey this person just said this,' and they can send a screen shot, but we will not ask them for their names,” said Pinkerton.

"My friends say they feel safer at school, knowing we can say something without people knowing who it is,” said Kinder.

District administrators said it's important for parents to get involved as well, and make sure their kids know the importance of reporting a threat.

The number Bauxite students can anonymously text is 405-806-0678. The email is TellSomeone@bauxiteminers.org.  

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