North Texas Districts Respond to Uvalde Shooting
- By Matt Jones
- May 31, 2022
School districts in North Texas are increasing security after last week’s shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 students and two adults.
Keller ISD announced that it has implemented additional police patrols and security presence for its last two days of school this week, according to local news. A spokesperson from Fort Worth ISD said that their district also plans to increase police presence in schools, especially in elementary schools.
Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes posted a video message on Twitter last week to reassure district families that school resource officers are present on campus every day for onsite security. He also said that neighborhood police have been requested to provide additional focus on schools. Fort Worth Police Department officers are also authorized to attend school events in uniform whether on- or off-duty, Noakes said in the video.
“We’re working with our Fusion Center, our real-time crime center to monitor any threats that could occur. We’ve got our volunteers out at campuses, being our eyes and ears at our campuses,” said Noakes. “We’ll continue to do everything we can to keep Fort Worth safe, but this is something we need everyone’s help in.”
Local parents have also acknowledged the complexity of the situation. “I think the thing that overwhelms me is that it’s such a complicated problem and an important problem. For whatever reason, nobody seems to be trying to tackle it,” said Ken Kuhl, father of a third-grade student in Fort Worth. “I know it’s complicated. I know there’s no easy answers. Maybe that’s why people don’t try and tackle it. I don’t know. I can’t be in their heads, but nothing is being done.”