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The state's OK2SAY program -- a means for reporting potential harm or criminal activities directed at students, school employees or schools -- had a busy year in 2025, officials said.
OK2SAY recorded 10,777 tips, its second-highest use volume since its 2014 start, Michigan State Police stated in a news release marking the release Tuesday of the 2025 OK2SAY Annual Report.
The number highlights the vital role OK2SAY "plays in safeguarding Michigan's youth and fostering safer school environments," according to MSP.
The goal of OK2SAY is to stop harmful behavior before it occurs by encouraging anyone to report threatening behavior to adult authorities who can help.
Upon receipt of a tip, specially trained OK2SAY technicians address the immediate need and forward the information to the appropriate responding law enforcement agency or organization. Tips go to schools, local law enforcement agencies, community mental health agencies or the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
"We continue to see that OK2SAY serves an important need in our state, empowering students to take an active role in keeping their schools and communities safe," Col. James F. Grady II, director of the MSP, said in the news release. "Every tip received shows our children have the courage and compassion to say something helpful when they suspect something harmful."
The top five tip categories in the 2025 report include --
-- Other, such as anxiety, stress, depression, harassment: 1,816 tips;
-- Suicide threats: 1,767 tips;
-- Bullying: 1,576 tips;
-- Drugs: 1,153 tips; and
-- Sexual assault/misconduct/exploitation: 1,036 tips.
Behind the data, MSP says, are "real-world outcomes that demonstrate OK2SAY's effectiveness in bridging the gap between a student in crisis and the help they need." They include --
-- 41 weapon-related incidents: Timely reporting enabled law enforcement and school officials to intervene, resolving potential threats before harm occurred.
-- 57 life-saving interventions: Tips led directly to immediate emergency transport or hospitalization for students experiencing active suicidal crises.
-- 220 contraband seizures: Tips resulted in the successful removal of illegal drugs, alcohol or other prohibited items from school grounds.
-- 445 formal student safety assessments: Schools utilized tips to initiate comprehensive behavioral threat or suicide risk assessments, ensuring at-risk students received coordinated, multidisciplinary support.
OK2SAY allows students, parents, teachers and community members to report tips confidentially. It is available 24/7 and tips can be submitted in these ways --
-- Call: 8-555-OK2SAY (855-565-2729);
-- Text: 652729 (OK2SAY);
-- Email: OK2SAY@mi.gov;
-- Online: Michigan.gov/OK2SAY or OK2SAY.com; and
-- Mobile app: Download the OK2SAY mobile in app stores for iPhone and Android.
For more on Michigan's OK2SAY program -- including resources for schools, students and parents -- go to the state's website at https://www.michigan.gov/ok2say.
A related reminder from MSP -- Michigan law requires every public and nonpublic school provide the MSP with at least one school official's emergency contact information biannually. Contact information can be uploaded online.