Statewide School Safety Threat Reporting System Available and Saving Lives; $500 in Promotional Materials Available with Train-the-Trainer WebinarIn September 2020, the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of School Safety (OSS) launched Speak Up, Speak Out (SUSO) Resource Center – a comprehensive, one-stop place to turn with important school safety concerns. According to U.S. Secret Service analysis of targeted school violence, prior to most incidents, other people knew about the attacker’s idea and/or plan to attack. SUSO provides a place to report and respond to these concerns through 24/7 threat reporting system, threat assessment consultation, critical incident response, and general school safety guidance. Students, parents, school staff, or any community members can submit a school safety concern or threat via the SUSO website, mobile phone application, or toll-free number. Resource Center staff work around-the-clock to respond to tips and to deploy a response locally by communicating directly with school administrators, law enforcement, and counselors. Nationwide more than half of public middle and high schools now operate similar safety tip lines. Since its launch in late 2020, SUSO has received more than 1,000 tips and helped deploy mental health resources and welfare checks to multiple students. SUSO is a critical safety tool that is available to all Wisconsin communities for free. To add this 24/7 threat reporting system to your school, complete the following steps: 1. Submit contact information: To be forwarded any tips submitted regarding your school, the contact information for one recipient from your school must be submitted to the threat reporting system.Submit information here:https://speakup.widoj.gov/update-school-contact-information 2. Attend a Webinar: Learn what SUSO is, what resources are available, and a train-the-trainer course that reviews curriculum for elementary, middle, and high school students. The curriculum is age-appropriate information on when and how to use the free statewide confidential tip line to report threats of school violence. Additionally, schools that use SUSO will have access to $500 in funding to purchase materials to promote SUSO to students and communities. To learn about this opportunity and the available curriculum, sign up for an upcoming train-the-trainer webinar:
Click the video below to see how the SUSO threat reporting system works. Find more information at https://speakup.widoj.gov/ or contact [email protected] with questions. |