JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — A nonprofit says it is recruiting volunteers to help with school patrols around White Oak High School after last week’s shooting across the street at a barber shop injured a student.
The Uvalde Foundation For Kids, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending school violence, announced in a release Tuesday morning, that it has now begun immediate recruitment for community volunteers to join its STOP NOW Volunteer School Patrols, planned for the White Oak High School community.
The media release doesn’t indicate whether the organization has asked for or received permission from Onslow County Schools or Jacksonville Public Safety to conduct such activities.
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Foundation officials said in a media release that the high school joins several schools selected nationally for the special volunteer units; including the Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn., and Richneck Elementary School in Virginia. Foundation officials say they are looking at other area district schools for their off-campus patrols as well.
The Uvalde Foundation for Kids said in the media release that team members are unarmed, receive criminal background and drug clearances, are trained in situational awareness, CPR and basic intervention techniques… Unless a part of the foundation’s on-campus program, teams do not enter school grounds & do not seek/require school or district collaboration.
The organization has already been questioned about its actions, including in Richmond, Va., where a shooting happened last June during a graduation ceremony. Nexstar’s WRIC reports the Uvalde Foundation For Kids released a statement responding to questions raised by Richmond Public School officials about the group’s plans to perform safety patrols at Huguenot High School.
On Aug. 6, the group announced it would be providing volunteer safety patrols for Huguenot High School in response to the deadly graduation shooting at the Altria Theater on June 6.
Richmond school officials said at the time they had not given the organization permission to patrol the school area, saying through a spokesperson the nonprofit would “not be allowed to do so without prior approval.”
Below is the full press release from the organization.
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The Uvalde Foundation For Kids, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending school violence, announced in a release Tuesday morning, that it has now begun immediate recruitment for community volunteers to join its STOP NOW Volunteer School Patrols, planned for the White Oak High School community. The announcement comes just days after students of White Oak High School were struck by gunfire near campus, a situation that parents say could have been prevented.
Increasing violence at the school and direct neighborhood have raised concerns for parents and students; some of which are to be addressed, according to the foundation, at today’s 6pm scheduled Onslow County Schools Board of Education meeting.
The national nonprofit, formed in response to the Uvalde, Texas school shooting, noted that the school patrols are part of a nationwide grassroots effort by the foundation to prevent violence from coming onto & disrupting school campuses and at events such as Fridays. Patrols are currently planned at several historically troubled schools or those affected by violence; and slated for the opening weeks of the 2023/2024 school year as well as weekly throughout the academic year.
Foundation officials also noted, that the high school joins several schools selected nationally for the special volunteer units; including the Covenant School in Nashville, TN and Richneck Elementary School in Virginia. Foundation officials say they are looking at other area district schools for their off-campus patrols as well.
The foundation clarified in he release that while it does have an on-campus volunteer patrol program – It is NOT seeking this currently at the present time hence, as patrols will be off campus/district property, it will not be seeking permissions or collaborations with school officials.
Foundation STOPNOW patrols are meant to prevent potential student safety issues from ever reaching students’ campus. Our patrols noted in aforementioned press release, are off school or district property. They are neighborhood “citizen,” school patrols and postings in the areas around school properties. Many of the volunteers live within the very neighborhoods we patrol.
Modeled after the GUARDIAN ANGELS community policing unit in NYC In the 1980s, STOPNOW teams; such as planned, patrol school perimeters; serving as an additional level of positive student and community engagement, while also as additional deterrents to potential dangers to students.
Team members are unarmed, receive criminal background and drug clearances, are trained in situational awareness, CPR and basic intervention techniques… Unless a part of the foundation’s on-campus program, teams do not enter school grounds & do not seek/require school or district collaboration.
Potential volunteers are encouraged to contact the foundation to sign up for team patrols.
