The Future

Florida AG, students working on “see something, say something” app

Stoneman Douglas students are creating an app to report suspicious activity following the February 14 shooting.

The Future

An app to save lives

The Future

Florida AG, students working on “see something, say something” app

Stoneman Douglas students are creating an app to report suspicious activity following the February 14 shooting.

According to a tweet by Stoneman Douglas junior class president Jaclyn Corin, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is working with several students at the high school to create an app to report suspicious people and behavior, which would be monitored by law enforcement 24-7. The initiative comes in the wake of the February 14 shooting of seventeen people at Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.

“It might be a small step, but we are moving in the right direction,” Corin also tweeted. “Apps like this have been successful in other states, as utilizing social media to prevent gun violence/suicide/other threats is incredibly beneficial for this generation.”

This wouldn’t be the first app of its kind. New York State’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services has an app called “See Something,” which for reporting activity related to possible terrorism or crime. The app is a part of the state’s larger “If you see something, say something” campaign. Similarly, the state of West Virginia has a “Suspicious Activity Reporting” app for reporting suspicious activity.

This possible app supports the idea that reporting suspicious activity will prevent crime. The day after the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School, President Donald Trump tweeted that people with knowledge of “bad and erratic behavior... Must always report such instances to authorities, again and again!”

However, the day after Trump’s tweet, the FBI revealed that it received a tip in January about “Cruz’s gun ownership, desire to kill people, erratic behavior, and disturbing social media posts, as well as the potential of him conducting a school shooting.” The FBI did not follow up on this tip.

There has been an uptick in school shooter threat reports since Cruz’s massacre last week, and it’s very possible that an app which makes it easier to report threats will save lives.