56°
A 14-year-old juvenile was charged after a Quakertown police investigation found that the teen targeted three individuals in the false reports, claiming the individuals were either going to harm themselves or others, on seven dates in January and February, according to the Buck County District Attorney's Office.
In March, the teen used the app to make bomb threats at Strayer Middle School and Quakertown High School, forcing schools to close as police investigated the validity of the tips, authorities said.
Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention program run by the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. Safe2Say is used in all schools throughout the state, so students can anonymously submit reports of unsafe activities or threats.
An 18-year-old girl was charged March 24 for using the app to send a tip that someone was going to bomb and shoot up Upper Bucks County Technical School, the DA's office said.
The school closed to in-person instruction on March 17 as police investigated and later determined that it was a false report, authorities said.
"Safe2Say serves as an incredibly powerful tool in helping get students the assistance they need and report potential threats to themselves, their communities, and their schools," Attorney General Josh Shapiro said.
"False tips, like those of this individual, account for a small fraction of the tips we receive but ultimately make it harder for young people to get the help they need. There are serious consequences to fabricating reports, which pull law enforcement and school personnel to take action. Fake reporting put the entire system at risk. I call on all students to take this platform seriously and protect it so it can continue to save lives."
The teens are facing five counts each of terroristic threats, false reports to law enforcement authorities, disorderly conduct, and false reports to the Safe2Say program. The terroristic threats charges are graded as third-degree felonies and the other charges are third-degree misdemeanors.
“If you are thinking of misusing or abusing the Safe2Say app, let these two arrests serve as your warning,” Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub said.
“If you abuse or misuse the Safe2Say app for improper reasons, law enforcement is committed to tracking you down and you will be held accountable for your criminal conduct."
“Safe2Say has led us to expose potential harms before they occur, and that’s the whole goal. To keep our kids safe in school," Weintraub added.
"I’m a huge proponent and believer in the Safe2Say program. It works, it saves lives and it’s doing what it’s designed to do.”
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office does not identify juvenile offenders.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Bristol and receive free news updates.
