BERGEN COUNTY, N.J.—A report on school security by the county’s Safe Schools Task Force will focus on better helping parents and students cope with mental health concerns and urge more wider adoption of a cell phone app that allows anonymous reporting of suspicious behavior, cyber-bullying and mental health issues.
The report, due this week, follows up on an initial report issued March 2019 by Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Safe Schools Task Force, a partnership of law enforcement, county government, mental health professionals, school administrators and private individuals with an interest in school safety.
The task force was put together by BCPO in April 2018, following the Parkland, Fla., high school shooting.
BCPO Chief of Detectives Robert Anzilotti and Supervising Senior Assistant Prosecutor Martin Delaney told Northern Valley Press that the report would highlight the need to increase adoption of a cell phone app called LiveSafe, which allows anonymous reporting of tips and concerns from students, administrators and parents regarding drugs, social media concerns, bullying, at-risk individuals, and individuals in need of counseling to prevent self-harm.
Delaney said the LiveSafe app was supposed to be piloted by four schools last year but encountered resistance from school districts and superintendents.
He said currently school districts are required to create an anonymous reporting system for students and most have not to date.
In addition, the report renews calls for schools to establish Assessment Care Teams and offers more training opportunities by BCPO staff, said Delaney. Such ACT teams are comprised of an administrator, mental health professional, and trained school safety personnel “to provide for more efficient intervention and treatment” of mental health issues, said officials.
Delaney said mental health training to help identify at-risk individuals will be offered to parents as well as middle school and high school students.
He said training will help them identify “warning signs” of mental distress as well as possible emotional impacts of lockdown drills on students.
“We’re doing our part with the trainings and highlighting best practices. We’re here to help,” said Anzilotti, noting students and parents need an anonymous reporting option such as LiveSafe.
The LiveSafe mobile app is staffed by BCPO staff who can handle, refer and follow-up on anonymous tips provided to them on a timely basis.
“A lot of our kids are in need and in trouble, and being aware of mental health is still a key, key part of this,” Delaney said.
