A New Chapter in Proactive Student Safety: Lightspeed Systems + STOPit Solutions 

At Lightspeed Systems, our mission has always been clear: keep students safe. For twenty-five years we’ve delivered upon that mission by giving schools solutions and services to keep students protected from harm (online and offline) and engaged in learning.

Today, I’m excited to share the next step in that mission: Lightspeed Systems is acquiring STOPit Solutions, a leader in anonymous reporting systems for schools.

A Shared Passion & Mission

Founded in 2013, STOPit was born from a tragedy that shook the world. Amanda Todd’s story—one of relentless cyberbullying and eventual suicide—highlighted the urgent need for tools that empower students to speak up and get help. STOPit gave them that voice, building anonymous reporting systems that foster a “see something, say something” culture in schools.

At Lightspeed, we share that same sense of urgency. In the wake of the Parkland tragedy, we realized schools needed better tools to help identify students in crisis sooner. Lyshastighetsvarsling was created to provide proactive, real-time alerts to intervene before tragedy.

Both Lightspeed and STOPit exist because we believe these tragedies can be prevented. And now, together, we can do even more.

More Data, More Insights, More Impact

Together, Lightspeed and STOPit data and solutions will help schools:

• Get proactive about school safety to preventviolence, self-harm, cyberbullying, and more.
• Understand the wellbeing of their students and the climate of their campuses and identify trends in mental health and safety concerns.
• Triangulate data to respond faster to threats.

It’s not just about reacting—it’s about preventing. Our combined solutions will help schools be proactive about campus safety.

Helping Schools Act Sooner

Schools are under-resourced. Counselors and safety teams are stretched thin and educators are balancing a million priorities. Meanwhile, the mental health crisis among students is growing, and schools need to spot, and help, students in crisis sooner.

Lightspeed and STOPit both know that technology can help close that gap. Research indicates that these solutions are effective in preventing school violence and enhancing student safety.

• In one study of the efficacy of anonymous reporting systems, 10% of all tips received were related to firearms—and nearly 40% of those gun-related tips were related to plans for school attacks.
• In addition, the US Secret Service has found that 74% of school shootings are preceded by online clues that, if spotted sooner, could have prevented tragedy.

By combining our solutions, we’re giving schools a more complete picture of student safety and well-being. Anonymous tips from STOPit’s systems, combined with real-time online activity insights from Lightspeed Alert, mean schools can intervene earlier and more effectively. This isn’t just about stopping violence; it’s about being proactive to identify and help students in crisis—før they reach a breaking point.

In addition to our software solutions, we also both use Human Review teams—real people—working 24/7/365 to serve as extensions of school staff and ensure the right people get the right information at the right time. Together, we have more people and more data to deliver that service efficiently and effectively.

Building Safer, Healthier Communities 

We believe that when schools have the right tools and actionable data, they can build safer, healthier learning environments. With STOPit joining Lightspeed, we’re making that belief a reality.

To STOPit customers: We’re here for you. STOPit’s solutions will continue to serve schools with the same reliability and dedication you expect. And together, we’re bringing you an even more powerful set of tools and services to keep your students safe.

To Lightspeed customers: We’ll keep delivering the solutions you need. We’re committed to giving you new technologies and more integrated, holistic solutions to protect your communities.

We’re not just merging companies. We’re merging missions.

And we’re just getting started.

Learn more about how Lightspeed Alert + STOPit can help enhance safety at your school. Request a demo here.

Brian Thomas is the CEO and Founder of Lightspeed Systems, dedicated to providing trusted solutions that keep students safe, secure, and engaged in digital learning.