Whitmer applauds OK2SAY program for improving school safety

An annual report released Tuesday shows that Michigan’s student safety program, OK2SAY, received more than 7,400 tips in 2022 – a 19 percent increase from the previous year.

“As a mom and as governor, my top priority is keeping our kids safe,” said Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “OK2SAY is an effective, nationally recognized program that ensures every child in Michigan has somewhere to go and someone to call. Our kids go through a lot, and our responsibility is to love them, have their backs, and ensure they have the support they need to stay safe. I am so grateful to the Michigan State Police for running this program and supporting young Michiganders. We will continue working together to build on the recent investments we made in school-based mental health and campus safety so every kid can ‘make it’ in Michigan.”

The nationally recognized program is designed to empower Michigan students, teachers, and staff to help protect school safety by confidentially reporting threats, violent behavior and mental health crises.

“All students deserve to feel safe in school so they can focus on learning and achieve their full potential, said Whitmer. “It is incumbent on all of us to do everything in our power to help reduce the chance of school violence and to identify and support children in crisis. 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.”

“The Michigan State Police continues to be proud of the positive impact this program is having in improving safety within our schools and in supporting students,” said Col. Joe Gasper, director of the Michigan State Police.

“OK2SAY is a much-needed safety net that allows students, staff, or other members of the public to reach out confidentially to get help and prevent tragedies. As the popularity of this program continues to grow exponentially year-over-year, I appreciate the governor and Legislature’s continued support of this critically important safety program.”

The state’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget includes an additional $378,000 to support the hiring of three more OK2SAY technicians to respond to an increasing number of tips.

The 2022 Annual Report shows that OK2SAY received 7,415 tips spanning 30 categories, with the top five types of tips being:

• Bullying – 1,344 tips
• Suicide – 1,017 tips
• Drugs – 786 tips
• Other (e.g., anxiety, stress, depression, harassment) – 645 tips
• Threats (e.g., an expression intended to cause pain or injury to a specific individual rather than a school building) – 633 tips

Other findings include 26 tips that involved the confiscation of weapons and 42 tips that resulted in the seizure of drugs or alcohol.

Anyone can report tips on criminal activities or potential harm directed at students, school employees, or schools. OK2SAY is available 24/7 and tips can be submitted in the following ways:

• Call: 8-555-OK2SAY (855-565-2729)
• Text: 652729 (OK2SAY)
• Email: OK2SAY@mi.gov
• OK2SAY website: ok2say.com
• OK2SAY mobile app: Available for download in app stores for iPhone and Android.

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.