WHITEHALL, OH (WCMH) — Whitehall students returning to class are learning about a new safety tool called Text-A-Tip.

Text-A-Tip allows a student who knows of a problem to text police directly for help.

“Sometimes kids at this age level are a little apprehensive about approaching a teacher, an administrator, an adult, and this just provides a way for them to anonymously alert adults about a situation,” said Ty Debevoise with Whitehall City Schools.

The tip line is specifically targeted for the younger generation.

Sgt. Dan Kelso with the Whitehall Police Department says it’s just another tool to help fight crime. “It’s what people do now. They text more than they phone call. But we are now trying to incorporate that and make it easier for them to contact us.”

Things that might be said in the hallway that police would never hear can now been discretely communicated to police. “This is something to help solve crimes that have already occurred. This is also a great tool for maybe something that’s gonna occur and a kid may know something that’s about to happen at the school,” says Kelso.