Safe2Say and Handle W/Care Available for All South Dakota Schools

Posted Date: 08/29/2023

The South Dakota School Safety Program, a Division of the Department of Public Safety and Office of Homeland Security, announced the addition of the Safe2Say Anonymous Tipline as another way to help our students and staff stay safe and secure in our schools.

The South Dakota Safe2Say is a statewide tip line that allows South Dakota students, school staff, and community members to safely and anonymously report sensitive information that concerns their safety, or the safety of others, including mental health concerns. 

Safe2Say South Dakota operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Anyone with information about a potentially dangerous situation can call the toll-free number at 1-844-3SD-SAFE/1-844-373-7233, make a web report by clicking the Submit a Tip Online button, or by downloading the mobile app and making a report from a smartphone or digital device.

A trained Safe2Say analyst will interact with the person reporting the safety concerns and forward the information to a multi-disciplinary team consisting of school officials, law enforcement, and mental health professionals. Safe2Say South Dakota was created to ensure that South Dakota schools and students remain safe. With Safe2Say South Dakota, our schools and communities are able to anonymously report student safety concerns in a safe and secure fashion.

To Report a Tip Via the Web, Click on this Link or Call 1-844-373-7233

Handle with Care is an initiative, originally designed in West Virginia, to promote communication between local law enforcement and schools. When law enforcement, or other first responders are on the scene of an incident that school-aged children witnessed or experienced, emergency responders will find out what school the child attends and a “Handle with Care” notice will be sent to the child’s school by the next day. School staff are encouraged to use trauma informed care with the child and observing for potential signs of trauma that the child may have experienced that is affecting his or her behavior or ability to successful in school. If additional support for the child is needed, the school will then contact those additional resources for the child. The number one goal of this program is to help students continue to see educational success daily.