Reinstating SNAP
The SNAP program, cut in 2005, brought students to and from main campus and the residence halls from dusk until midnight. Student volunteers drove a six-person golf cart Sunday through Thursday relying on two-way radios to pick up students. Public Safety cut the program due to both lack of funding and the shuttle filling the need for after-hours transportation.
In efforts to restore the program, Public Safety hopes to team up with criminal justice majors to give them experience working with SNAP.
“It could work as an internship with the criminal justice program,” said David Groseclose, assistant vice president for public safety said. “It would be great to get them involved with dispatch. Even some of our current officers were once on the SNAP.”
“The program started when public safety was in charge of parking,” Groseclose said. “It was funded by parking tickets. But when we were no longer responsible for parking, we couldn’t afford it.”
The patrol would circulate between front campus and the residence halls, accepting calls directed to public safety for rides in designated areas. Although many students live off campus, the patrol would only be able to travel from main campus to the dorms due to insurance liability.
“We’re not going to run a drunk shuttle,” said Groseclose.
Financing remains the main issue in reinstating the program.
“We expect the program to be pretty expensive. Maybe up to $20,000 per year,” Groseclose said. “We need equipment and uniforms. If the program takes off like I think it will, we’ll try to get another golf cart.”
“This is a great way to further enhance safety on campus,” said Bryan Jackson, GCSU’s director of university communications. “I started to hear people talking about reinstating it right after the holdup a few weeks ago. The president thinks it’s a good idea.”
The patrol could provide students working late in the library a safe ride back to the residents halls as opposed to having an officer in a patrol car relinquish other duties to escort them.
Opportunities such as these keep officers available for other calls.
In efforts to make the SNAP more reliable, the patrollers would be paid and require a uniform to be worn on the job.
“The idea is to make it a little more professional,” said Jackson.
Hopes are to have the patrol running every night.
Criminal justice majors may not be the only ones benefiting from this possible employment opportunity. Students who choose to take criminal justice classes may also be eligible to become a patroller.
To find out more information about the SNAP program, contact Public Safety at (478) 445-4400.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Dec 5 2008. 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
