Seattle Public Schools rolls out new SaferWatch app for tips and emergency reporting

(Image: SaferWatch)

Seattle Public Schools says it is rolling out support for a new “federally funded” app and phone system with “tools for medical emergency reporting, anonymous tips, and schoolwide communication.”

The SaferWatch system has been put in place in several large school districts across the country but the Florida-based company is facing increased scrutiny after its CEO was arrested and charged in a bribery case involving the New York Police Department.

SPS’s rollout comes just weeks after the arrest.

While the bribery scandal threatens to overshadow the company’s technology, reviews are mixed about its efficacy. One clear takeaway: The system generates a lot of tips but it isn’t clear what, exactly, the district will do with the flow of information.

“SaferWatch tips are routed anonymously to trained professionals who assess and forward them to appropriate responders,” the district says. Those “trained professionals” are SaferWatch employees.

SaferWatch reports that its system is currently used in more than 2,000 schools and 5,000 locations nationwide.

According to the district’s message to families, the use of the app will be supported by a new school safety tip line phone number — 206-222-HELP (4357). “This anonymous tip line can be contacted by phone or text and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” the district’s message said.

According to SPS, SaferWatch’s “mobile panic alert systems” comply with Alyssa’s Law, “offering rapid, coordinated responses during on-campus emergencies. In the event of a police emergency, SaferWatch enables instant school lockdowns while simultaneously alerting law enforcement.”

“During medical incidents, SaferWatch notifies key campus personnel and automatically contacts emergency services—allowing staff to focus on the person in need,” the district says.

The rollout comes as new SPS superintendent Ben Shuldiner has continued investments in campus safety under the recently voter-approved $1.3 billion families and education levy. The expanded levy Includes a planned $235 million in school safety investments described as supporting existing school health centers and “expanded safety investments in and around schools” in summaries.

In the Central District and on Capitol Hill, Shuldiner will be tasked with continuing efforts to address gun violence around 23rd Ave’s Garfield High School following a deadly shooting of a student there in 2024. 2026 at Garfield is bringing continued efforts including the ongoing “Reclaiming the Village” forums organizers say they hope will grow into an ongoing series of events to support Black families and students in the Central District.

Garfield Principal Tarance Hart launched the forums as the school has tried to address community needs, public safety, and gun violence following the deadly 2024 shooting of 17-year-old student Amarr Murphy-Paine in the school’s parking lot.

Hart has also led improvements to Garfield’s campus to address safety and security concerns. In October, the Seattle School Board rejected a plan supported by then-Mayor Bruce Harrell and his police chief to return a uniformed Seattle Police Department officer to the Garfield High School campus citing concerns over disproportionate policing and the district’s failure to implement community recommendations in its proposal.

2026 is bringing further safety investments at Garfield. Hart announced classroom technology and school safety upgrades were underway through June including “expanded security camera coverage, new intercom and clock systems, emergency alert devices, and improved door monitoring and access controls.”

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