Pottawattamie County debuts new tool to help authorities stop threats
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (WOWT) - “Speak up.”
The name of Pottawattamie County’s new anonymous reporting tool says it all.
“Citizens across the county can notify us of any direct threats, physical, written, verbal, suspicious activity they might see,” Capt. Todd Weddum with Council Bluffs Police said. “As well, as concerning behaviors from neighbors and other people they might see in the community.”
The new tool went online Thursday morning. Weddum said it’s modeled after a similar platform in Sarpy County. It’s purpose is to give community members another resource for help.
“This isn’t the only way to report,” Weddum said. “It’s an added way to report and the threat assessment team on the back end of the reports is what’s truly new.”
The threat assessment team is made up of 30 people. Those involved are Pottawattamie County law enforcement, school, and mental health officials.
“We will take all that information and put it into a software manager and assess and track these threats as they go through the process,” Weddum said.
You can submit a report of a threat online by going to the county’s ‘Speak Up’ page. You’ll be asked to enter the school district you live in, along with personal information and a description and evidence of the threat.
“Basically, everyone in the county lives within a school district,” Weddum said. “So, even if there isn’t suspicious activity going on at the school if someone reports a tip it might be a block away or two from an elementary school.
Weddum said while every tip will come through, not all of them will be processed the same way.
“If someone puts in a tip that a student at a local was cheating on test yesterday and they took a picture of it that’s not something that necessarily involves law enforcement,” Weddum said. “As well, as the county attorney’s office or social services that will be forwarded to the individual school district and get forwarded themselves.”
Weddum also said there are other anonymous reporting tools that you can access here.
The Council Bluffs Police Department will be at the City’s annual Costume Night at Cochran Park on Friday, October 11 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. to launch Speak Up into the community.
Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.