A lack of student interest has prevented the University Yellow Jackets Volunteer Program, a crime prevention team that patrols the campus at night, from operating this year, and the program’s future remains undetermined.
The group of students, staff and community members came together in April in response to the 10 campus attacks that occurred from February 2001 to March 2002.
Yellow Jacket Student Coordinator Meghan Madden said that even though the program is having trouble finding enough volunteers — the group only has 12 committed members — she hopes to see patrols start Monday.
Unless more people show interest, Department of Public Safety Director Tom Hicks said he is unsure if the program will work. He said because volunteers are required to work in pairs for safety reasons, the program needs more than just a few committed people.
Hicks said he thinks people are not volunteering because they generally don’t want to work on weekends, when DPS needs them most.
Madden said she participated in the program last spring and thinks it’s vital to campus safety.
“It is not the most glamorous job, walking around in the dark and in the cold,” she said. “But it’s worth it so that others can have the mentality that campus is safe.”
Madden said Mortar Board and members of the greek system have shown interest in participating.
James George, of the Interfraternity Council, said his fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi, participates in the program because it is important for people to feel safe on campus at night.
“If people feel uncomfortable walking around campus at night, the program can ease that apprehension,” he said. “It’s sort of that ‘take back the night’ attitude.”
And Madden said once the program gets going again, pairs of volunteers will be expected to work the same shift every week for two-hour time blocks. Shifts will be Sunday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to midnight and on Friday and Saturday from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
“We just really hope to get the program up and running again,” Hicks said.
The Yellow Jackets will have a training session Sunday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. in 146 Straub, and Madden said interested parties
are welcome.
Madden said if people can’t make it to training, they can still participate in the program by contacting the Yellow Jackets or filling out an interest form on the DPS Web site.
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