Youth Peace & Justice Foundation proposes volunteer patrol model to supplement Bend school security
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Youth Peace & Justice Foundation has submitted a proposal to Central Oregon public safety and education leaders seeking to discuss a volunteer-based school safety initiative in the Bend area following the fatal shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School.
The foundation, also known as The Uvalde Foundation For Kids, is inviting representatives from the City of Bend, the Bend Police Department, Bend-La Pine Schools, and the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office to evaluate its STOPNOW safety awareness model.
The proposal comes as Bend-La Pine Schools prepares to reopen Silver Rail Elementary School on November 12th following the October 15th shooting that killed three students and a teacher.
During a November 5th community meeting, school district officials discussed security challenges and acknowledged that existing budget and staffing constraints limit their ability to fund many requested physical and law enforcement safety enhancements.
District officials noted that the system currently operates with eight School Resource Officers and 13 campus monitors across its schools, while assigning a dedicated School Resource Officer to Silver Rail Elementary through the remainder of the school year.
In response to the district's financial and personnel limitations, the Youth Peace & Justice Foundation proposed introducing its STOPNOW initiative as a supplemental community resource. The program uses screened and trained volunteer patrols to increase safety awareness around school arrival and dismissal periods, student walking routes, neighboring areas, and local parks.
Under the foundation's model, STOPNOW volunteers operate with strict operational limitations. Participants are unarmed and hold no law enforcement authority, meaning they cannot make arrests, detain individuals, conduct searches, carry out investigations, or confront suspected offenders. Their role is restricted to observation, safety awareness, and reporting potential concerns through established public safety channels.
The organization emphasizes that volunteer patrols are designed to complement rather than replace professional law enforcement, School Resource Officers, campus monitors, or emergency responders. Any potential local implementation would require administrative review, background screening, child-protection checks, drug testing, and training in crisis intervention, CPR, and situational awareness, alongside formal supervision from school and police officials.
Beyond its safety proposal, the foundation has provided direct assistance to Central Oregon residents impacted by the Silver Rail Elementary shooting. Foundation assistance efforts have reached 118 local residents, directing $3,150.67 in recent relief toward mental health services, medical expenses, and temporary household needs.
The foundation's financial initiatives in the region include a corporate campaign that surpassed $12,000, which operates alongside broader organization fundraising that previously exceeded $16,500. Assistance is distributed based on verified community needs and available organizational resources.
In addition to monetary assistance, the organization has organized a youth solidarity initiative involving approximately 250 young people across 12 states to support the Central Oregon community. The foundation is also planning a Trees for Peace memorial grove in Oregon to honor the victims and create a lasting site of remembrance for families, educators and first responders.
Daniel Chapin, founder and president of the Youth Peace & Justice Foundation, established the organization following the May 24nd, 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. What began as the Walk For Uvalde fundraising campaign expanded into a national advocacy, violence prevention, and crisis response organization guided by the principles of recognizing warning signs, intervening early, and preventing violence.
Chapin stated that community participation can help address gaps when school districts face financial and staffing boundaries.
“Parents should not have to accept that nothing more can be done simply because there are not enough officers or available funding to meet every need,” Chapin said. “We understand the importance of School Resource Officers and we support efforts to provide schools with the personnel and resources they need. But there are also opportunities for communities to become involved in prevention. We are offering STOPNOW as another resource for Bend to consider, not as a replacement for law enforcement, but as an additional effort to help communities recognize concerns and report them appropriately.”
The STOPNOW program has a national development history dating to 2023, with outreach and engagement conducted in several states. Prior development and school outreach examples include Denver East High School in Colorado, West Geauga High School in Ohio, Pulaski County, and Huguenot High School in Virginia, Central Visual & Performing Arts High School in Missouri, and White Oak High School in North Carolina.
The foundation also received input regarding safety awareness from a deputy sheriff and school resource officer in Walker County, Alabama, along with broader recruitment activities in Texas, California, Tennessee, Hawaii, and Florida.
Following a 2025 review and consolidation of its original patrol model, the foundation transitioned to evaluating future local developments through direct collaboration with local leadership rather than maintaining a continuous nationwide rotation.
The Youth Peace & Justice Foundation has requested an exploratory meeting with Bend Mayor Kebler, City Council members, police leadership, Bend-La Pine Schools officials, and Deschutes County representatives. The foundation stated it is seeking an initial conversation to introduce the model and review local priorities, rather than requesting an immediate program commitment or endorsement.
