Before AU students decry Public Safety's new scooters as wastes of time and money, they should consider its unviable alternatives.
Although the new equipment and its batteries cost the university an astronomical $34,000, purchasing three new scooters was still considerably cheaper than replacing even just one old patrol car. And for the green of heart, the scooters are much more environmentally friendly than their predecessors. They aren't powered by gasoline - another money-saver - and they leave much lighter of a carbon footprint.
But most importantly, the scooters are effective. No matter how asinine Public Safety officers might appear when they're cruising around campus at near-crawl (or, sometimes, near-dangerous) speeds, the scooters certainly proved their use on March 14, when officers responded to a minor AU shuttle accident at Tenley Circle. The officers made it to the scene just as fast, if not faster, as an AU patrol car would have. Considering how many students lambasted Public Safety for its poor performance on the blue light response time test last year, we would be utterly hypocritical to fault the office for any attempt at improvement.
However, students' objections are equally warranted. No matter how beneficial the new equipment might be, Public Safety should have consulted students before it spent so much money. True, university facilities and offices are by no means obligated to hold lengthy forums and discussions regarding their every budget decision. But transparent decision-making on an issue that our tuition money partially funds is more than deserved. We can only hope Public Safety consults the student body before it resumes scooter shopping and, even more importantly, when it evaluates its new toys' success or failure at making the campus more safe and secure.
