School Safety Archives

A new app called SaferWatch was created following the passage of “Alyssa’s Law,” a piece of legislation in the state of Florida. Its purpose is to ensure better safety in schools. SaferWatch, also known as Alyssa’s Alert, is a web and mobile-based security system built to provide higher levels of safety for individuals. The app is also meant to enhance security for organizations including schools, corporations, public venues, neighborhoods and communities. After the school shooting at...

SaferWatch, a mobile app providing a panic button that travels with its users, is the latest effort to increase school safety after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 that resulted in the death of 17 people and injury of 17 more. The app also allows users to submit information about safety-related concerns to the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Broward County Public Schools began using SaferWatch for students, faculty and parents at...

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Clay County law enforcement agencies have launched a new tool for reporting crimes and suspicious activity in the county that can also help keep the public informed. Authorities on Monday announced the launch of the SaferWatch app. The app is now live. It will allow members of the community to send tips, photos and videos directly to law enforcement. You can even go live with personnel at Clay County’s Real Time Crime...

NICEVILLE — A new tool is giving faculty and school resource officers at Okaloosa County schools the ability to report active assailants, medical emergencies, and more with the click of a button. Okaloosa County School District Superintendent Marcus Chambers and Sheriff Eric Aden showcased the SaferWatch app during a press conference Wednesday at the Sheriff Larry Gilbert Emergency Operations Center in Niceville. 911 texting available in South Walton: New tech in South Walton quickly locates 911 callers,...

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) -A digital panic button to report crime is now live in Okaloosa County. The SaferWatch app is adding a whole new level of school safety, by giving teachers and staff a direct way to report suspicious and or dangerous behavior. The Okaloosa County School System, along with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, launched the app as an added layer of protection for schools. “No mission is more important than protecting our...

OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. -- The Okaloosa County School District and Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office announced a new school safety tool on Wednesday. Superintendent Marcus Chambers and Sheriff Eric Aden held a press conference to speak on the tool designed to save lives. The SaferWatch app is only for school staff at their specific schools. It allows staff to immediately notify law enforcement if they're in a tough situation. Chambers says the heart of school...

A preteen is in trouble with the law after deputies say he drafted a “detailed plan” to kill people at his Broward middle school. The 12-year-old boy, a student of Crystal Lake Middle School in Pompano Beach, was arrested and charged Tuesday with making written threats to kill, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said. Earlier Tuesday, a Crystal Lake Middle student learned about his threat and then posted about it on social media — as...

Schools across the country, including in Miami-Dade and Broward, saw an uptick of threats last year, many of which were made on social media. While school leaders say most online threats usually turn out to be hoaxes, they can still cause worry among parents, faculty and students. In Michigan, more than a dozen school districts canceled classes in December following the Oxford high school shooting that left four students dead and seven other people...