On August 11, Governor Gretchen Whitmer reviewed the annual report from OK2SAY, a school safety program run by the Michigan State Police (MSP) that empowers Michigan students, teachers, and staff to help protect school safety by confidentially reporting threats, violent behavior, or mental health crises. In 2021, OK2SAY logged over 6,200 tips, a 67% increase compared to 2020.
“Every kid deserves to feel safe at school, and I am proud of the successful OK2SAY program that offers students a confidential way to report threats and talk about their mental health,” said Whitmer. “I am so grateful to the MSP for ensuring this program runs smoothly. I will work with anyone to keep our kids safe at school, and I am proud of the historic, bipartisan efforts we have made in our students and schools to help them thrive both in and out of the classroom. Let’s keep working together to help kids be kids.”
“OK2SAY is a violence prevention tool in place in Michigan for more than eight years and remains steadfast in its mission to help keep students safe,” said Col. Joe Gasper, director of the Michigan State Police. “The program provides a much-needed safety net responding to and preventing numerous individual and community crises.”
The 2021 Annual Report shows that OK2SAY received 6,255 tips spanning 30 categories, with the top three types of tips being:
• Planned School Attack - 1,786
• Threats (e.g., an expression intended to cause pain or injury to a specific individual rather than a school building) - 722
• Other (e.g., anxiety, stress, depression, harassment) - 632
Other findings include 34 tips that involved the confiscation of weapons and 86 tips that resulted in the seizure of drugs or alcohol.
OK2SAY is available 24/7 and tips can be submitted the following ways:
• Call: 8-555-OK2SAY (855-565-2729)
• Text: 652729 (OK2SAY)
• Email: OK2SAY@mi.gov
• OK2SAY website: www.michigan.gov/ok2say
• OK2SAY mobile app: Available for download in app stores for iPhone and Android.
Anyone can report tips on criminal activities or potential harm directed at students, school employees or schools. Tips can be submitted 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Michigan law requires every public and nonpublic school to provide the MSP with at least one school official’s emergency contact information biannually. This information allows OK2SAY to efficiently communicate with school personnel when a tip is received.
OK2SAY is housed within the Office of School Safety.
