On its national website, Safe Place is described as a youth outreach program that teaches young people to seek help rather than run away or try to resolve difficult, threatening situations on their own.
While Safe Place programs in other cities have recruited transit agencies as partners, no such program existed in Cleveland. So RTA started one, with the help of two area agencies that help kids in trouble.
Regional Transit Authority General Manager Joe Calabrese says the most visible part of the program will be placards and signs on area buses and trains, alerting kids that getting help is as easy as speaking to the driver and asking.
JOE CALABRESE:
"We will then transport them immediately to one of our two partners, Bellefaire or Westhaven, where they can get the appropriate help, professional help that they need."
Calabrese says drivers and operators are already undergoing Safe Place training.
CALABRESE:
"If we only help one or two young people a week or a month, that could make a very significant difference in their quality of life.
Schools CEO Eugene Sanders estimates 5-10% of students need help at some time.... and that situations demanding intervention appear on an almost daily basis. He's grateful for the new tool.
DR. EUGENE SANDERS: "We believe it's a shared responsibility for everyone in the entire community to ensure the safety of our youth."
Over the next several months, RTA intends to educate students in school districts across Cuyahoga County.
