Oklahoma app provides tool for residents to report suspicious activity
Authorities discussed the app a day after hoax threats prompted lockdowns at Oklahoma schools
IT IS 912 ON YOUR TUESDAY MORNING. AND REPORTING SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY THAT PROTECT. OKAY APP. IT ALLOWS OKLAHOMANS TO REPORT POTENTIAL THREATS. AND IN STUDIO THIS MORNING WE HAVE SARAH STEWART AND TROOPER DEREK FRY, OUR INTERVIEW. IT JUST COMES AFTER A DAY AFTER WE HAD SEVERAL HOAX CALLS INTO THE STATE. AND SEVERAL SCHOOLS GO ON LOCKDOWN. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND GIVING US SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PROTECT, OKAY? AND WHAT YOU ALL DO TO PROTECT STUDENTS, SCHOOL COMMUNITIES AS WELL HERE IN THE STATE. SURE. THANKS FOR HAVING US. SARAH, I WANT TO START WITH YOU. THE PROTECT OKAY APP. HOW CAN IT REALLY HELP SCHOOL COMMUNITIES? WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SITUATIONS LIKE YESTERDAY AGAIN, WE HAD SEVERAL HOAX CALLS AND SEVERAL SCHOOLS PUT ON LOCKDOWN. SO THIS IS A VERY EASY WAY TO REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY. AND IT’S ON YOUR PHONE AS AN APP. SO IF YOU HAVE THE APP ON YOUR PHONE, IF SOMEBODY SPOTS SOMEBODY LIKE SOMEONE IN A PARKING LOT WITH A WEAPON OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT’S AN EASY WAY TO REPORT THAT. NOW, SOMETHING LIKE YESTERDAY, IF THEY REALLY DO THINK SOMEBODY IS THERE WITH A GUN, THAT’S PROBABLY MORE LIKE A911 CALL. BUT IF THERE’S A STUDENT WHO IS HEARING THINGS LIKE THEIR FRIEND IS SAYING, HEY, I’M THINKING ABOUT BRINGING A GUN TO SCHOOL, THEY’RE MAKING COMMENTS LIKE THAT. THIS APP IS AN EASY WAY TO REPORT THAT AND TO POSSIBLY PREVENT SOMETHING BEFORE IT GETS TO THE POINT WHERE SOMEBODY FEELS LIKE THEY NEED TO BRING A GUN TO A SCHOOL OR OR A BUSINESS OR ANYWHERE IN THE COMMUNITY. TROOPER FRY, COMING OVER TO YOU NOW, CAN YOU JUST TALK ABOUT THE MOST RECENT THREATS? WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT HAS GONE ON THIS YEAR, WHAT HAVE YOUR, YOU KNOW, OFFICE HAVE WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN SEEING WHEN IT COMES TO THE THREATS THAT WE’VE SEEN HERE IN THE SOONER STATE? CERTAINLY. SO WITH TIKTOK, WE ONLY HAVE AROUND 7000 DOWNLOADS OF THE APP IN OKLAHOMA. OUT OF THAT, WE’VE HAD AROUND 500 TIPS COME IN, 350 ISH BEING SCHOOL RELATED. SO SOME OF THOSE TIPS MIGHT BE FROM A PARENT TALKING WITH THEIR KID AFTER PRACTICE, MAYBE REPORTING SOMETHING CONCERNING THEIR KID TOLD THEM FROM SCHOOL. IT COULD BE SOMETHING INVOLVING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, TERRORISM, THREATS LIKE THAT. BUT SOME OF OUR MAIN FOCUSES IS SCHOOL SAFETY. YOU KNOW, UVALDE REALLY CHANGED HOW OKLAHOMA APPROACHED SCHOOL SAFETY. AND PART OF OUR CONTINUING EFFORT WITH THE SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THE RAVE APP FOR TEACHERS TO REPORT SOMETHING GOING ON. PROTECT OKAY IS REALLY FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR CITIZENS, FOR KIDS IN SCHOOL. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, PLEASE SAY SOMETHING. GET ON THE APP. ALL THAT INFORMATION COMES STRAIGHT TO US, AND THEN WE DISSEMINATE IT OUT TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO. AND I DO WANT TO MENTION TROOPER FRY, YOU’RE WITH THE OKLAHOMA COUNTER TERRORISM INTELLIGENCE CENTER. AND ANOTHER QUESTION I WANT TO ASK YOU IS ABOUT SOMETHING CONCERNING THAT WE’VE SEEN IN PRESS RELEASES FROM OFFICES HERE IN THE STATE IS THAT SOME OF THESE THREATS DON’T EVEN COME FROM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HERE IN OKLAHOMA. SO CAN YOU TALK MORE TO THAT? YEAH. SOMETIMES THESE BAD ACTORS, THEY’RE BENT ON JUST CAUSING MAYHEM, STRESSING RESOURCES, STUFF LIKE THAT. SO THEY MIGHT BE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, IN ANOTHER STATE. THEY’LL USE SOMETHING GENERIC, AN ACRONYM LIKE EMPS THAT MIGHT APPLY TO MULTIPLE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OR B-H-S. SO THAT COULD FALL ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT SCHOOLS IN OUR STATE. SO WHEN WE GET THESE TIPS, SAY LIKE A SNAPCHAT TIP, SOMEONE YOU CAN GET ON THE APP, YOU CAN UPLOAD IMAGES, SEND THAT INTO OUR OFFICE. WE HAVE ANALYSTS 24 OVER SEVEN. THEY WILL RECEIVE THIS. THEY’LL LOOK AT IT AND IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING ANOTHER STATE IS WORKING KANSAS, TEXAS, COLORADO THAT HAVE SHARED WITH US FOR MAYBE THREE DAYS PRIOR. THEN WE CAN, YOU KNOW, GET IN TOUCH WITH THE SCHOOL AND LET THEM KNOW, HEY, THIS TIP HAS COME IN. THIS IS A SNAPCHAT THREAT OR ANOTHER THREAT WE’VE SEEN FROM DIFFERENT STATES. PLEASE TAKE IT SERIOUS, BUT YOU CAN RESPOND APPROPRIATELY BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT INTELLIGENCE COMING IN AND A LOT OF IT FROM THE COMMUNITY. IT’S VERY IMPORTANT. AND HOW CRITICAL WOULD YOU SAY THAT THAT INTELLIGENCE IS FOR, YOU KNOW, THE FOLKS THAT WORK IN YOUR DEPARTMENT? I MEAN, IT’S HUGE. WE ARE AN ASSISTING AGENCY FOR EVERY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT, EVERY PD, EVERY SCHOOL, EVERY SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER. SO THE MORE INFORMATION WE GET IN, ESPECIALLY FROM THE PUBLIC, THE BETTER WE CAN DO OUR JOB AND GET THEM THE INFORMATION IN THE FIELD THEY NEED. WITH ALL THE LOCKDOWNS YESTERDAY, INFORMATION COMING IN, IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO GET THAT WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO SO PEOPLE CAN RESPOND. SARAH, I WANT TO COME BACK TO PROTECT, OKAY, IT’S A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR OLD NOW. TROOPER FRY SPOKE TO JUST HOW MANY DOWNLOADS THAT WE’VE SEEN SINCE THEN. TALK ABOUT HOW CRITICAL THAT HAS BEEN OVER THE PAST YEAR. NOW. WELL, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT MORE DOWNLOADS. WE WANT EVERYBODY TO HAVE THIS ON THEIR PHONE AT THEIR FINGERTIPS. HOPEFULLY YOU DON’T EVER HAVE TO USE IT, BUT IF YOU DO, IT’S THERE. AND WE WANT TO POINT OUT ALSO YOU CAN REMAIN ANONYMOUS. IF YOU’RE REPORTING A TIP ON THE APP. SO 7000 DOWNLOADS IN A STATE OF AROUND 4 MILLION IS NOT IS NOT EXACTLY WHERE WE WANT TO BE. BUT YOU CAN SEE GETTING ALMOST 500 TIPS JUST FROM THAT AMOUNT OF DOWNLOADS. IT’S WORKING. PEOPLE ARE USING IT. IT’S IT’S WORKING HOW IT’S SUPPOSED TO. SO WE WOULD JUST LIKE MORE PEOPLE TO DOWNLOAD THAT APP. AND WHEREVER YOU WHEREVER YOU DOWNLOAD YOUR APPS, YOU CAN FIND THE PROTECT. OKAY, I WAS JUST ABOUT TO ASK FOR OUR VIEWERS AT HOME HOW THEY CAN DOWNLOAD. SO JUST GO TO THE APP STORE, TYPE IN PROTECT. OKAY. AND IT’S EASY TO DOWNLOAD. SO JUST BEFORE WE LET YOU GUYS GO HERE, I WANT TO ASK BOTH OF YOU A QUESTION. WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HAVE TO FAMILIES? YOU KNOW, AS WE CONTINUE INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR HERE, I KNOW WE’RE ABOUT TO GO FOR WINTER BREAK FOR A LOT OF STUDENTS, BUT COMING BACK INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR AT THE IN THE NEW YEAR, WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HAVE FOR FAMILIES WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING SURE THAT YOU’RE REPORTING ANYTHING THAT YOU SEE ONLINE? I KNOW SNAPCHAT, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, SOCIAL MEDIA IS BIG WITH KIDS RIGHT NOW. WHAT SHOULD THEY DO IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY SEE POSSIBLY A THREAT ONLINE? CERTAINLY THESE BAD ACTORS, THEY LIKE TO PUT STUFF OUT BEFORE THEY THEY COMMIT THEIR CRIMES. THEY WANT ATTENTION. SOMETIMES PEOPLE MAY SEE SOMETHING AND NOT TAKE IT SERIOUS. PLEASE TAKE IT SERIOUS. IF YOU SEE ANYTHING, EVEN IF YOU DON’T THINK IT’S PRESSING, IF YOU DON’T THINK IT’S IMPORTANT, SEND IT IN. OUR ANALYST WILL COMB THROUGH ALL THAT INFORMATION. WE WANT EVERY TIP POSSIBLE. SO WHAT I’D SAY IS JUST PLEASE DON’T HESITATE. SEND THE INFORMATION IN. ALL RIGHT. AND SARAH, FOR YOU, WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR FAMILIES TODAY? YEAH, I WOULD SAY THAT ALSO ENCOURAGE YOUR KIDS TO, YOU KNOW, TO NOT BE AFRAID TO TO STEP UP AND TO SAY SOMETHING. SOMETIMES IT MIGHT BE INTIMIDATING TO GO TALK TO A TEACHER. YOU DON’T YOU DON’T WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT YOU’RE REPORTING SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS. SO THIS APP IS AN EASY WAY FOR THEM TO DO THAT. AND IF THEY WANT TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS, THEY CAN. AND THIS JUST GIVES THEM THAT AVENUE. WHEREAS BEFORE IF THEY SAW SOMETHING, THEY DIDN’T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO WITH THAT INFORMATION OR WHO TO TELL, THIS IS WHERE THEY NEED TO GO. ALL RIGHT, SARAH STEWART AND TROOPER FRY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING ON AND GIVING US REALLY HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR A LOT OF FAMILIES, A LOT OF VIEWERS AT HOME. WE’RE GOING TO PUT A LINK TO THE PROTECT OKAY APP, WHERE YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THAT FOR YOUR PHONES AND ANYWHERE YOU GET YOUR APPS ON OUR SEE
Oklahoma app provides tool for residents to report suspicious activity
Authorities discussed the app a day after hoax threats prompted lockdowns at Oklahoma schools
Updated: 1:28 PM CST Dec 17, 2024
The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety has launched an app that allows people to protect their families from threats of violence by reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement. The ProtectOK App allows Oklahomans to report potential threats, providing another resource that’s available for the public. KOCO 5 spoke with Oklahoma DPS officials about the app just a day after hoax calls prompted multiple schools statewide to be put on lockdown. “If there’s a student that’s hearing things, this app is an easy way to report that,” said Trooper Derek Fry, the director of the Oklahoma Counter Terrorism Intelligence Center.Since ProtectOK launched in 2023, the app has had 7,000 downloads and hundreds of tips submitted. Authorities said the app is incredibly critical to report threats, especially ones against school communities. “The more information that we get in from the public, the more we can get them the information in the field they need,” Fry said. “With all the lockdowns yesterday and information coming in, it’s very important to get that where it needs to go so people can respond.” Department of Public Safety officials said many of the hoax threats that have caused school lockdowns come from outside of Oklahoma. “When we get these tips like a Snapchat tip, you can get on the app, upload images, send that into our office. We have analysts 24/7. They’ll receive this, they’ll look at it, and it might be another state is working – Kansas, Texas, Colorado – that has shared with us maybe three days prior. Then, we can get in touch with the school and let them know this tip has come in. This is a Snapchat threat or another threat we’ve seen from states. Please take it serious, but you can respond appropriately,” Fry said. The Department of Public Safety wants Oklahomans to continue downloading the ProtectOK app. “This app is an easy way to do that, and if they want to remain anonymous, they can. And this just gives them that avenue. This is where they need to go,” said Sarah Stewart with the Department of Public Safety. People who would like to download the app can do so here. Top Headlines Harrah police arrest woman for embezzling $27,000 from Little League Association ‘Didn’t know if he was alive’: Mother seeks answers after son injured in hit-and-run School shooting horror: 15-year-old kills teacher, student at Christian school in Wisconsin What we know and don’t know regarding the Madison, Wisconsin, school shooting Last-minute shopping for Christmas? This is how you’ll be able to tell if your gift will arrive on time
The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety has launched an app that allows people to protect their families from threats of violence by reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement.
The ProtectOK App allows Oklahomans to report potential threats, providing another resource that’s available for the public. KOCO 5 spoke with Oklahoma DPS officials about the app just a day after hoax calls prompted multiple schools statewide to be put on lockdown.
“If there’s a student that’s hearing things, this app is an easy way to report that,” said Trooper Derek Fry, the director of the Oklahoma Counter Terrorism Intelligence Center.
Since ProtectOK launched in 2023, the app has had 7,000 downloads and hundreds of tips submitted. Authorities said the app is incredibly critical to report threats, especially ones against school communities.
“The more information that we get in from the public, the more we can get them the information in the field they need,” Fry said. “With all the lockdowns yesterday and information coming in, it’s very important to get that where it needs to go so people can respond.”
Department of Public Safety officials said many of the hoax threats that have caused school lockdowns come from outside of Oklahoma.
“When we get these tips like a Snapchat tip, you can get on the app, upload images, send that into our office. We have analysts 24/7. They’ll receive this, they’ll look at it, and it might be another state is working – Kansas, Texas, Colorado – that has shared with us maybe three days prior. Then, we can get in touch with the school and let them know this tip has come in. This is a Snapchat threat or another threat we’ve seen from states. Please take it serious, but you can respond appropriately,” Fry said.
The Department of Public Safety wants Oklahomans to continue downloading the ProtectOK app.
“This app is an easy way to do that, and if they want to remain anonymous, they can. And this just gives them that avenue. This is where they need to go,” said Sarah Stewart with the Department of Public Safety.
People who would like to download the app can do so here.
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