Teens get message about texting tips

Two efforts to combat crime in St. Petersburg are about to merge in Pinellas schools. Several months ago, St. Petersburg police activated a text tip line. “We as the police department have gone out and tried to market like the text tip line and sometimes we haven’t been very successful, because we needed a system to get to the majority of our kids,” said St. Petersburg Police Chief Chuck Harmon. Several weeks ago, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference launched a campaign to overcome the “do not snitch” mindset. Now school superintendent Julie Janssen wants that message delivered in Pinellas schools before the summer break. The SCLC’s campaign follows the shooting death of 8-year-old Paris Hamilton. Student leaders at Gibbs High School say that murder and the stabbing death of an 18-year-old student in a fight over a boyfriend have changed the attitudes of some teens. “We’re very hyped up about getting word out to the community that this needs to stop, and how are we going to get other youths to understand that…we can’t just sit and let

it continue to happen and keep killing each other off — it makes no sense,” says sophomore class president Keona Welch. Any tips from teens to police are most likely to arrive via text messaging. “That’s how we communicate now, so we don’t talk on the phone, so (texting) plays a big part in it,” says freshman class president Jessica Serra. In fact, junior class president Kritin Tellis says “when I see the commercials and they say call this number and give them a tip, I just think, uh, probably wouldn’t call — it just seems weird doing it that way. I think texting would be more comfortable.” Dr. Janssen says police “gang squads” might also visit schools, but not to make arrests. “As an educator, you’re really not trained specifically on what to look for, what signs to look for, so our principals are going to get some more training on identifying behaviors and simple little signs on gangs getting started.”  

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Teens get message about texting tips

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