Report page 33

Some states and fusion centers already have established programs for statewide reporting, which may serve as a resource for BTAUs or as a model for developing new reporting programs.

For example, iWatchTexas is a public portal through which reports enter the Texas Suspicious Activity Reporting Network (TxSARNet) and the School Safety Network.

These statewide reporting networks help provide a holistic view of terrorism, crime, and school safety-related suspicious activity and concerns in the State of Texas.

Other states have bystander reporting systems designed specifically to support school safety, such as Safe2Tell Colorado.

In addition to receiving tips about potential school violence, programs like Safe2Tell also receive tips about other concerning behaviors involving students, such as bullying, drug use, depression, suicide, and self-harm, all of which have been observed as common precursors to school violence.

Improving School Safety Through Bystander Reporting: A Toolkit for Strengthening K-12 Reporting Programs is a joint publication produced by the Secret Service and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

The toolkit outlines strategies for establishing and enhancing bystander reporting programs. While this toolkit was written primarily for K-12 school audiences, the principles presented are applicable to broader, community-based reporting mechanisms.

Multiple avenues for reporting (e.g., smartphone apps, online web portals, dedicated email addresses, and tiplines) • Anonymous/confidential reporting • 24/7 monitoring • Timely response