The School District of Palm Beach County and District Police Department are joining with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to provide students and parents with a new tool to connect schools directly with law enforcement.

The app, called Student Protect, allows students, parents, and staff to report threats and suspicious activity directly to local law enforcement. It also has the ability for the user to dial 911 and have the exact GPS location of their mobile device sent to first responders. Users can also subscribe to specific schools to receive alerts and notifications from law enforcement.

“The app is strictly tailored to school districts,” said Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw during a joint press conference held Thursday. 

The app provides centralized reporting where the concern is reviewed and sent to the right agency to investigate. Tips sent through the app can be made anonymously and users can also include video and images with the report.

Bradshaw said that users can also submit reports of concerns over mental health, social media, and bullying, but law enforcement warned that false reports made through the app will also be investigated and can lead to disciplinary and legal action.

The app will be available for both Apple and Android devices. For more information, visit Student Protect App.