Todd Repsher retired from the Bethlehem Police Department last August following a highly successful career in law enforcement rising through the ranks from patrol through SWAT and Assistant Police Chief. Three days later Todd answered the call from BASD to become the Coordinator of School Safety and Emergency Management.
This was in planning for the launch of the “Safe2Say Something” (S2SS) anonymous reporting system.
Per Superintendent Roy, this program, which is mandated under PA state law / Act 44, teaches students, teachers, and administrators how to recognize warning signs and signals, especially within social media, of individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and Say Something to a trusted adult OR use its anonymous reporting system. Specifically, the program educates participants to:
- Recognize the signs and signals of at-risk behaviors – especially within social media
- Take every sign and signal seriously; act quickly to get help by talking to a trusted adult OR
- Report it anonymously through the S2SS Office of the Attorney General 24/7 Crisis Center, mobile app, or website
- Respond to and manage the submitted tip via a school-based multi-disciplinary educator and administrator teams
- Sustain the curriculum and awareness via student clubs, in-school activities and call-to-action weeks
The S2SS program is being provided through Sandy Hook Promise (SHP), a nation-wide non-profit organization. SHP’s programs are in 50 states – with 10,000+ schools and over 5.5 million students and adults trained.
We anticipate that S2SS will help stop school shootings, suicides, and gun threats; it will help reduce bullying and cyberbullying; help intervene upon cutting, drug use, racial conflicts, and other violent and victimization acts.
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Editor's Note:
I strongly encourage you to take a close look at the Parent Brochure.
This is what our children face in the age we live in now. We all have heard how it "takes a village to raise a child." We all have a stake in the future of the children to help create a culture where safety is the norm, not the exception. Please keep in mind, yes we are our brother's keeper...and our children, neighbors, friends. Our vigilance is needed everywhere to create this culture of safety. It affects everyone.