'Several arrests have been made': Planned school attack tips on the rise this school year

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - We're just over two months into the new school year and we have the latest report card on school safety.

It shows something alarming about the type of tips pouring into an anonymous reporting system.

The SafeVoice app and website is where students, parents and teachers can report things anonymously. New numbers show a troubling trend of threats of school violence.

Sergeant Charles Caster with the Department of Public Safety and the SafeVoice Operations Manager.

"This school year, we are looking at planned school attacks as being our number one," Sergeant Caster said.

Here are the top three tips that were reported from the start of the school year up until October 15th across the state.

Sergeant Caster explains the silver lining, as well as the very real consequences of planned school attack tips coming in this school year.

"While most of them were determined to be false, several arrests have been made across the state as these threats were made by real people, and many of them being students in our state," Sergeant Caster said.

He thinks he knows why these tips keep flooding the system this school year.

"They tend to be one or two events that go viral, and then we receive multiple tips of concern, students, parents and community members concerned about a similar or same event."

Based on the complaint, either a member of law enforcement, behavioral health services or a school leader will get in touch with the tipster.

School attacks aren't the only tips that come in.

Bullying and suicide threats also made the top 10 list so far this school year.

But Sergeant Caster says SafeVoice is a lifesaver.

"I can tell you unequivocally that lives are being saved and have been saved," Sergeant Caster explained.

If it's determined that there was an intentional misuse of the platform with a fake school attack, Sergeant Caster says that person faces being arrested and charged with a felony.

The SafeVoice app is free, and a team of fully trained professionals responds to tips 24/7.