Office of School Safety Fall 24 Newsletter

Michigan State Police sent this bulletin at 09/16/2024 11:00 AM EDT

Fall 2024

New Resources Available to Assist K-12 Schools with Emergency Planning

The Michigan State Police (MSP) Office of School Safety (OSS) released new resources to assist the state’s K-12 schools with developing and/or updating their Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). An EOP details the actions that students, teachers, school staff, emergency responders, and community organizations should take before, during and after a variety of emergency situations.

Michigan law requires all K-12 school buildings to have an EOP that is reviewed on a biennial basis. MSP previously published EOP guidance in 2014.

“There have been many changes in the school safety arena over the past ten years and we want to make sure our schools are benefiting from the most up-to-date guidance as they develop and review their emergency operations plans,” said Col. James F. Grady II, director of the MSP. “These updated, easy-to-use tools were reviewed by a multi-disciplinary panel of professionals from the emergency management, law enforcement, education and mental health sectors and include best practices for multiple emergency situations.”

Information from federal agencies was referenced in developing the new tools, including resources from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center. Additionally, the OSS partnered with the national nonprofit “I Love U Guys” Foundation to utilize their Standard Response Protocol and Standard Reunification Method.

The new resources can be found on the OSS webpage. The OSS is housed within the Grants and Community Services Division (GCSD) of the MSP.

This project was funded by a 2019 U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, STOP School Violence Grant awarded to the MSP GCSD.

Professional Learning and School Safety Training Requirement

Under Michigan Compiled Law (MCL) 380.1526, school districts must provide department-approved first aid and CPR training to teachers in their first year of employment in classroom teaching if they do not already hold a valid CPR/First Aid completion card. The CPR/First Aid training is now part of the 15 additional professional learning days required under the law for new teachers. Other school safety trainings will be allowed as district-provided professional development and will count toward the education related professional learning needed for teaching certificate renewal for the 2024-25 academic year and beyond. Other school safety trainings include, but are not limited to, bloodborne pathogens, EpiPen, and active shooter. Decisions regarding what constitutes school safety trainings are made at the local level. Questions may be directed to Mr. Martin Snitgen, Professional Learning Consultant in the Office of Educator Excellence at SnitgenM1@michigan.gov.

Prepare for the School Year Keep your Community Safe

Foundations of Targeted Violence Prevention eLearning

The Foundations of Targeted Violence Prevention eLearning is a one-hour online training developed by the Department of Homeland Security, National Threat Evaluation and Reporting Program Office that empowers faculty, staff, and parents to:

Recognize threats or potentially concerning behaviors
Understand what behaviors may be displayed by a person who is on a pathway to violence
Learn where to report information of concern
Understand how the information reported will be used to keep our community safe

For additional information on training and resources to help keep your community safe, please visit https://www.dhs.gov/nter.

Learning About Law Enforcement

The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office released Learning about Law Enforcement: An Educator’s Resource Guide for Classroom Projects. An Educators Resource Guide. This guide is intended to help educators plan constructive classroom projects and discussions. The resources, which may be adjusted or adapted by educators to best serve their classroom’s needs, are intended to help young people learn more about law enforcement, the critical role officers play in our society, and the dangers or stressors they may face.

Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Information for Students

Pursuant to MCL 380.1508 (Public Act 57 of 2023), the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) developed age-appropriate informational materials for students in grades 6-12 titled Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Information Guide . The MDE worked with experts including the Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board, housed within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Division of Victim Services, and the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. The materials have been reviewed by students and partners in the education, public health, and sexual violence fields to make them clear and accessible. Additional information can be found in this MDE memo.

Safe Gun Storage

Free gun safety locks for distribution to students, families, and staff are available through the MSP Grants and Community Services Division. Please email MSP-SchoolSafety@michigan.gov with the requested amount (in multiples of 25), a contact name, and the name and address of the school. The email must come from the principal or superintendent.

Gun lock installation instructions in both English and Spanish are included with the product and are also available on the Project ChildSafe website.

Ten Years of OK2SAY: Supporting Our Students. Protecting Our Schools.

As Michigan celebrates ten years of the OK2SAY student safety program, it is a time to look back on the influence of the program and recognize the incredible commitment of everyone involved. The program's accomplishments can largely be attributed to the students who have become known as "heroes in the hallway." These brave individuals choose to break the code of silence, speak out against harmful behavior, and seek necessary assistance. Their courage ensures schools and law enforcement have crucial information to respond to threats, prevent tragedies, and provide help to those who are struggling.

Impact and Statistics

The success of OK2SAY lies in its numbers.

Total tips submitted since inception: Approximately 57,000 tips were received over the past ten years. Each tip represented a potential threat averted and a life safeguarded.
Suicide prevention: A staggering 18% of tips dealt with suicide threats. OK2SAY has been instrumental in helping struggling students get the assistance they need.
OK2SAY outreach: Since 2020 when the program was relocated to the MSP OSS, 1,813 seminars have been presented to 312,603 students across the state.

Not only do the numbers reflect the success of OK2SAY, but the program has been recognized as a best practice by the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

OK2SAY Annual Report

Statistics in the recently released OK2SAY 2023 Annual Report show the program received more tips in 2023 than any year since its 2014 launch. In fact, OK2SAY received 31% more tips compared to 2022.

OK2SAY received 9,686 tips spanning 30 categories, with the top five being:

Bullying – 1,769 tips
Suicide – 1,462 tips
Drugs – 1,286 tips
Sexual assault/misconduct /exploitation – 815 tips
Threats (e.g., an expression intended to cause pain or injury to a specific individual rather than a school building) – 741 tips

Other findings include 24 tips involving the confiscation of weapons and 77 tips resulting in the seizure of drugs or alcohol. Additionally, 236 schools conducted a comprehensive behavioral threat assessment and/or a suicide assessment because of an OK2SAY tip.

Education

There are several strategies to promote OK2SAY.

STAFF AWARENESS: All staff members working with students should be knowledgeable about OK2SAY, its significance for students, and how it functions. This not only educates staff about the importance of addressing the code of silence among students but also enables them to emphasize the importance of reporting incidents in a manner that ensures safety.
STUDENT AWARENESS AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION: OK2SAY offers student safety presentations and a community seminar for parents and guardians. These presentations are tailored to different age groups and address various issues impacting students while ensuring their protection. Register for a free presentation.
PROMOTIONAL ITEMS: Display OK2SAY promotional material such as posters, stickers, and contact cards in prominent locations throughout the school. Promotional items can be ordered directly from OK2SAY.
SPREAD THE WORD: Promote OK2SAY on social media platforms and utilize downloadable digital signage graphics. Encourage students to download the free OK2SAY app or save a shortcut to the OK2SAY website on school computers. Include OK2SAY contact information on student identification cards or student planners.

OK2SAY Emergency Contact

Public Act 401 of 2020 requires every Michigan public and nonpublic school to provide the MSP with at least one school official's emergency contact information twice each year. This emergency after-hours contact information will allow OK2SAY technicians to efficiently communicate with school personnel about potential harm or criminal activities directed at school students, school employees, and schools. The contact information is kept confidential and only accessed if there is an after-hours emergency involving imminent danger to the safety or well-being of a student or others.

If you have not done so already, please provide the emergency contact information for your school on the OK2SAY website under Register School Contacts.

Crime Stoppers and MSP Work Together to Promote Student Safety

Every student in grades 5-12 in Bay County now have a new, easily visible OK2SAY sticker in their locker. The sticker displays contact information and a QR code to help students report criminal activity or potential harm directed at students, school employees, or schools.

This partnership between Bay County Crime Stoppers and the MSP aims to remove the stigma around reporting issues such as drugs, bullying, weapons, and suicide. The program hopes to empower students to speak up without fear of being labeled a snitch, ultimately creating a safer school environment. Organizers are optimistic about the impact the stickers will have.

Photo: Sgt. Don Stewart, MSP; Mr. Tom Matuszewski, Bay County Crime Stoppers President; F/Lt. Dan Nease, MSP.