MNPD, Nashville schools ‘unaware’ of any patrols by the Uvalde Foundation for Kids
The foundation also said it would start citywide patrols throughout Nashville schools.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A national non-violence group said they had community patrols at Nashville schools this year, but they told WSMV 4 Investigates they actually did not do any campus patrols at all.
The Uvalde Foundation for Kids said they formed in response to the shooting at Robb Elementary School in 2022. They got involved in Nashville following the Covenant School shooting and sent their first release to our newsroom the same day. In subsequent releases, they claimed to be starting patrols at and around Nashville schools. We have found no evidence of that.
Carol Diane Whitten-Vile lives near the Covenant School.
“So close to what happened which was absolutely devastating to all of us,” Whitten-Vile said.
She thinks she would have noticed the Uvalde Foundation for Kids doing community patrols in neighborhoods near the school this year. “This is brand new news to me,” Whitten-Vile said. “I have never seen a patrol.”
Neither has Bill Ury.
“I have not heard of anything like that,” Ury said.
Let’s go back. WSMV 4 received the first news release from the foundation regarding school patrols in Nashville back in July. It said they’d “patrol facility grounds” and “perimeters” of The Covenant School’s temporary site. We are told that was not authorized and did not happen. Then, the following week, we received another release. That one said instead of being on campus, the foundation will “continue patrol plans in perimeter and neighborhood patrols.”
“This is a private neighborhood,” Whitten-Vile said. “You can’t just begin patrolling.”
The foundation also said it would start citywide patrols throughout Nashville schools. They also said patrols would start throughout Belmont University and the Edgehill area following the shooting of student Jillian Ludwig. MNPS, Belmont and MNPD all said they were unaware of any patrols.
“I’m not aware of any actual activity by this organization in Nashville,” MNPS spokesperson Sean Braisted said.
We reached out to law enforcement and school districts out of state too where the foundation said they would patrol. Both Charlotte and Philadelphia said no one has worked with the foundation.
“This group has not worked with CMS or patrolled around our schools to our knowledge,” Susan Vernon-Devlin with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said.
“CMPD does not work with this group in any capacity,” Mike Afflinger with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said.
“The School District of Philadelphia’s Office of School Safety has not been contacted by the Uvalde Foundation for Kids and is unaware of their work in Philadelphia,” Monique Braxton with The School District of Philadelphia said. “To our knowledge, the Foundation isn’t patrolling on our campuses, but School Safety officers are present along with Philadelphia Police.”
“We do not know the Uvalde Foundation,” Shawn Ritchie with Philadelphia Police said. “Our Command Staff reports that we have never worked with them.”
The founder, Daniel Chapin, would not interview with us about this. However, he answered our questions in a news release that he sent out Wednesday. He said, “Currently we do not have, nor have we sought out, any on-campus or district property patrols anywhere in the nation.” He went on to say that the permission is not “sought or required” for off-campus patrols. A release he sent us in February said the foundation “has had teams already in place three times per week since the beginning of the academic school year.”
“I have never heard of it anywhere,” Whitten-Vile said.
We asked Chapin if the foundation is not working with any local school districts or governments on patrols, then what exactly are donations to his foundation going to? He told us they’ve only raised $150 since January and that they help families affected by shootings cover basic living expenses.
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