Students Speaking Up To Make Their Schools Safer

The "Fast 50" Program was created to help ensure safer Middle School, High School and College environments by empowering students to help stop crime by utilizing the Silent Observer tip-line.  This program allows students to contact Silent Observer anonymously by phone, web, text or by using a mobile tip submission app.

By Phone - 774-2345 or 1-866-774-2345

By Web - Web tip Submission

By Text Messaging - Text TIP138 plus your message to CRIMES (274637).  The keyword TIP138 must appear in the first line of the text to reach Silent Observer.

Silent Observer Mobile App - To install this free app, tipsters can search for "TipSoft" or "TipSubmit" on the Apple App Store or Android Market. Auto-locate the nearest agency that you can submit to or select Kent County Silent Observer manually. Include images and video with your tips and have fully anonymous two-way dialogue and real-time chat with Silent Observer tip takers.

With so many challenges facing our world today, we need our young people prepared to make a difference in our community, our nation and our world.  A safe and secure learning environment for students is important for you to be able to achieve your goals.

Students play the most important role at your school in keeping your campus safe. Dangerous weapons, drugs, major thefts, damage to property, relationship violence, and bullying thrive in environments where bystanders tolerate activities that they know are wrong. There are real and serious consequences that can result from these activities.  Fast 50 can make a difference in one person's life or even in your whole school.

Your voice is powerful.  You can use it to make your school better for everyone.

How It Works

If you have information about a crime or a serious school violation occurring in your school, you can call Silent Observer's Fast 50 Program anonymously any time, 24 hours a day. You will be given a special identification number after leaving your tip. Record this number and use it to check on the success of the tip or the status of any rewards.

The tip is immediately faxed to the school. An administrator follows up on the tip and provides feedback to the director of Silent Observer as to the result. There are some occasions when the school administrator does get the police involved because of the serious nature of the tip. However, this program allows the school to deal with certain issues within the boundaries of their school.

You can call Silent Observer at 454-9110 after two days,
Monday thru Friday between 9:00am and 2:30pm
to check on the status of your tip.

In the event of the recovery of stolen or damaged property or drugs, the student providing the tip is eligible to claim a $50 reward. If an illegal weapon is recovered, the student caller will receive $100. When calling to claim the reward, you must identify yourself with the correct identification number given when the tip was reported. Arrangements for payment will be made based on the safety and protection of the identity of the person reporting the crime. Comerica Bank is now paying out some “Fast 50” rewards through their drive-thru windows at select branches
If you would like more information on "FAST 50", please call Chris at 616-454-9110 or email info@silentobserver.org

Note: Silent Observer will only pay rewards if the information is provided to the Silent Observer tip line before administrators are made aware of the situation by the student caller. Silent Observer does not pay police informants therefore we will not pay school informants either. The purpose of “Fast 50” is to allow school students to feel comfortable in using Silent Observer in the hope that they will continue this practice as they get older.

Currently, FAST 50 is in place in 65 area schools and has been extremely successful. Students have given accurate information about vandalism, possession of drugs and alcohol, students selling Ritalin, stolen computer equipment and other valuable items, threats of violence, fire alarms, possession of knives and guns.

Silent Observer offers this program at no charge to participating schools. Schools participating in “Fast 50” are:

Byron Center Middle and High Schools, Caledonia High School, Duncan Lake Middle (Caledonia), Kraft Meadows Middle (Caledonia), Glenmor High School (Caledonia), Calvin College, Cedar Springs Middle and High Schools, Cedar Springs New Beginnings High School, Comstock Park High School, Mill Creek Middle School (Comstock Park), North Kent High School (Comstock Park), East Kentwood High School, Crossroads Alternative High School (Kentwood), East Kentwood Freshman Campus, Crestwood Middle (Kentwood), Pinewood Middle (Kentwood), Valleywood Middle (Kentwood), Forest Hills Central High School, Forest Hills Eastern High School, Forest Hills Northern High School, Gerald R. Ford Job Corps, Godfrey Lee Middle and High Schools, Godwin Heights Middle & High School, Grand Rapids Community College, All Grand Rapids Public Middle and High Schools, Grandville Middle and High Schools, Orion High School (Grandville), Jackson Park Middle School, Kelloggsville Middle and High School, Kenowa Hills High School, Kent Career Technical Center, Kent City Middle and High Schools, Lowell Middle and High Schools, Newhall Middle School, Northview High School, Northview Alternative High School, Crossroads Middle School (Northview), Rockford Middle and High Schools, Rockford Freshmen Campus, Rogers High School, West Michigan Academy and Wyoming Park High School.

Underage Drinking Tips Now Qualify For Fast 50 Reward Money

Congratulations Fast 50 Poster Contest Winners!                                     

Silent Observer asked area high school students to design a poster that explained the Fast 50 Program. The posters are hung in almost every high school and middle school in Kent County so we wanted the posters to be eye-catching, graphic and to the point.  We received entrees from Caledonia High School, E. Kentwood High School, Kelloggsville High School and Rogers High School. The entrees were fabulous and it was very tough to choose the winners. The talent our high school students have is awesome and the entire Silent Observer board was very impressed with the entrees.

The winners, who each received $100, are:

Brittany Bolger - Caledonia High School

Ashley Dettloff-Hughes - Caledonia High School

Jake Jerzyk - Caledonia High School

Allante Johnson - East Kentwood High School

Jose Perez - East Kentwood High School

The winning entries from the 2007 Poster Contest can be viewed here...

If you have any questions, please email info@silentobserver.org