This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Students in Weber County secondary schools who witness bullying or fear a friend is suicidal now have an anonymous way to ask authorities for help.
Law enforcement agencies and the Weber and Ogden school districts have set up a Friends Hotline, a program that allows students to text reports about safety threats either at school or in the community.
The texts are routed through a computer system in Canada and stripped of identifying information before being forwarded to the school principal, resource officer and counselor. A copy goes into a file at the Real Time Crime Center at the Ogden Police Department.
Senders will receive a return message immediately asking them to call 911 if there is an emergency and providing them with an identifier code. The code allows the students to send updates from the same cellphone while still remaining anonymous.
The issues typically reported include bullying, threats, fights, weapons, alcohol, drugs, sexual misconduct, dating violence and suicidal behavior.
To send a text, the student must begin the message with the word "Friends" followed by a space and the school's name. (The text must begin with Friends and must have a space after it or it will not go through.) The student then enters a message and sends the text to 274637 (CRIMES).
John Harvey, deputy director of support services for the Ogden Police Department, said the system allows students who are uncomfortable talking to the school administration to help their friends. He believes that potential suicides could be averted.
"We think this is going to be very successful," Harvey said Wednesday.
Schools will put up posters this month advertising the system. Teachers and administrators will show students how to use it, Harvey said.
Twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC