SNAP back in action

Students who find themselves around campus after dark have little to fear thanks to efforts from the Georgia College & State University Public Safety Department.

One of the many Public Safety programs is the Student Night Auxiliary Patrol (SNAP). SNAP began in 1989 as a group of 10 student volunteers on foot. Over the years, Snappers walked students around campus and then became more mobile on rollerblades.
Today, GC&SU employs three paid student workers in golf carts to patrol campus Sunday through Thursday, from dusk until 1 a.m.

Public Safety Deputy Director and SNAP Program Director Richard Goodson is proud of the success of the SNAP program.

“The purpose of SNAP is to provide safe, free escorts to students during the hours of low visibility,” said Goodson.

SNAP escorts are primarily available on campus but will occasionally travel in the immediate area surrounding campus. The SNAP program has two golf carts, but generally only one cart is in service per night.

“In the case of an emergency, we are able to borrow a golf cart from the GC&SU Physical Plant. They are very kind and generous when working with us at Public Safety,” said Goodson.

Public Safety Director Ken Vance is also pleased with the success of SNAP over the years at GC&SU.

“The SNAP program has been a great improvement to our campus safety. We were ranked as the number 1 Safe College Campus in Georgia after beginning the SNAP program,” said Vance. “An FBI agent, a GBI agent, and a Foreign Government Official came from the original group of Snappers who volunteered nearly every night of the week.”

Goodson said he feels that the SNAP program helps in more ways than one.

“The SNAP workers are our extra eyes and ears around campus at night. They see things that we can’t always see in a patrol car,” said Goodson.

Goodson said he would like to see an increase in the use of the SNAP program, and he urged students to call for an escort if they are walking around campus after dark.

“This program is great for students working at the library or going to the computer lab late at night,” said Goodson.

GC&SU freshman Christin Robins learned of the SNAP program through friends on campus.

“It is a relief to me being away from home, and also to my parents, to know that I can get an escort around campus at night if I need one,” said Robins.

SNAP is open for business Sunday through Thursday and can be reached after dark. For more information or to get a SNAP escort, call Public Safety at 4400.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 28 2001. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry