App helps students reach police

MILLERSVILLE, Md. - Many teenagers have their phones with them 24 hours a day. 

Anne Arundel County Police are trying to turn those phones into a useful tool.

"I wanted to become interactive in the way they are used to."

"I wanted to be a part of the cyber  world."

The smartphone app, "Speak out",  lets students or parents speak out in a more modern way.

"With this app we reach another layer of student that out of fear of repercussion or being labeled a snitch may not say anything."

"Information is the key to not only to preventing tragedy."

"We have incident after incident of when we were able to stop a crime before it happened because someone spoke out and got an adult involved."

Key information helped officers last month. 

A 14-year-old was talking with what she thought was another teenager.     

She said she going to run away to Tennessee to meet a 25-year-old man, but police were able to stop it.

"Within 6 hours we had Tennessee police on that 25 year old male's door step."

If you are reporting a serious crime as a homicide or shooting, police may need to talk to you.

Otherwise they want this app to be used as an anonymous tip line.

"If a student says the saw Bill bully John on bus 14, where we got that information is going to remain confidential."

Although this app is being pushed through county public schools, private school students can use it too.

The app is available to download on your phones starting today.