A student’s public denouncement of ‘inaccessible, unappeasable and frankly confusing’ parking rules puts pressure on FUPO to review its guidelines.
Three weeks ago, an online petition with over 500 signatures called on the Furman University Police (FUPO) to reexamine troublesome parking rules.
The petitioner, Izzy Snyder, posted the petition on Change.org after overhearing complaints about the parking regulation system.
She questioned the end goal of FUPO’s revenue gathering business and reprimanded the appeals board for being unreliable and unengaging to the student body.
The incremental fine scale currently in place values first time parking violations at $10. The price increases if the ticket is not paid on time or if a second violation is issued before the first is settled.
Chief of Police John Milby met with Snyder to go over ambiguities about where ticket revenue goes. He explained that after a certain time, parking citation fines roll over into student tuition. The university anticipates a yearly total to cover operational costs.
‘We do not want to boot your car on the first offense’
Milby insisted that this is not FUPO’s idea of a money-making operation, but a tactic to grab students’ attention.
Fine penalties for illegal parking provoked a string of disapproving reactions online. Supporters of Snyder’s petition commented on the reasons for signing. To some, the charges are too high and the appeals process seems ineffective.
The committee that judges ticket appeals is made up of students, staff and faculty. The jury first considers the facts of the violation, but should mitigating circumstances, often related to injuries, prevent the committee from reaching a decision, the case goes to a second-round of appeal.
Officers not working for ticket quota
And to address the rumored claim that FUPO is issuing more tickets to meet revenue-quotas, Milby said that moving violations have been enforced more stringently, but that officers are not on the clock to make quota.
According to Milby, FUPO could boot cars on the first offense if this was about revenue, but he sided that campus ticketing is designed simply to modify behavior and encourage student responsibility.
Milby is adamant that FUPO is willing to work with students on individual cases.
The department takes the liberty to send an email to those with outstanding balances, a means to checks in and inquire into the students’ awareness.
Petition update
On Feb. 8 Snyder announced that she had an “open and fruitful” conversation with Milby. She later mentioned feeling excited by the prospect of future changes to FUPO’s regulations.
Following Snyder’s interest in the issue, the parking committee convened to discuss standardizing time spaces across campus. As of last week, visitors may park for 30 minutes in lots with temporary spaces.