Speakout – Campus Programs

On September 29, 1995, a fourteen-year old Tavares Middle School student was shot and killed by another student. During the investigation it was determined that several students attending the Lake County school were aware of a conflict between the victim and shooter and yet never spoke with school administrators or resource officers. It was also discovered that several students were aware that the student had brought the gun to school. This incident was the catalyst brought about the development of the SpeakOut Hotline.

Crimeline was established in 1977 as a non-profit organization whose purpose is to furnish law enforcement agencies with information on unsolved felony crimes, on wanted persons, and other criminal activity that has been unavailable through normal investigative methods. The organizers of SpeakOut Hotline felt that Crimeline’s extensive service history would be beneficial to the Hotline. SpeakOut calls are received in the Crimeline office and tips are taken by Crimeline operators.

Speakout does pay monetary rewards for solved cases. The goal of the program is to empower young people to positively affect their school and community through the anonymous reporting of criminal activity. SpeakOut Hotline was created to give students, adults and law enforcement a voice in the fight against school violence and juvenile criminal activity. The Hotline is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. SpeakOut tips, like Crimeline tips, are handled with the upmost security, sensitivity and seriousness. SpeakOut Hotline has no voice recorders or caller ID. A Hotline operator will never ask your name, age, school, address, or phone number. Your call is completely anonymous.

Please click here for Speakout Hotline