AU Police to hire students for new Jaguar Safety Patrol

The Augusta University Police Department is hiring eight student workers for its new Jaguar Safety Patrol initiative.

“It will give us more resources and more bodies to be able to accomplish our mission,” said Sgt. Curtis Dyal, special projects coordinator in AUPD’s Community Services and Investigations Division. “We get really busy, so this will help us extend our reach and improve services.”

Student employees hired to be part of the Jaguar Safety Patrol will be paid $10 an hour and will be allowed to work up to 20 hours per week.

With several university campuses and facilities to patrol and protect, the Jaguar Safety Patrol will assist the police department in expanding its community policing footprint.

“We have seen the success of similar programs at other universities, including Georgia Southern University and the University of Central Florida, and we wanted to bring it here,” said Dyal. “It will be like an auxiliary patrol, providing safety services, like escorts at night, patrolling the area and reporting suspicious activity and even providing vehicle assistance when needed.”

There will be two students working from 5-11 p.m. Monday through Friday on the Health Sciences and Summerville campuses.

“We want our team to be out during those busy times when shifts change, and our students and employees are moving about more,” Dyal said.

The positions are funded mostly by the Federal Work Study Program. The grant pays 75% of each salary, and the department where the student is employed pays the other 25%, Dyal said.

“We were also able to get four bicycles and four golf carts for the Jag Patrol to use for escorts, taking students to their cars,” Dyal said. The student patrol will have constant contact while on duty through a two-way radio system.

“This effort will promote teamwork among the various divisions of the department and help achieve our mission, building trust within our student community through partnership and transparency,” said Capt. Sam Sherrill of the Community Services and Investigations Division. “That’s what community policing is all about, helping to build trust in the community, and our students are a vital part of our campus community.”

The Jaguar Safety Patrol rolls into the AUPD JagSafe Campaign, which aims to teach the Jaguar community ways to protect themselves and their property by making decisions that promote safety. The project also promotes law enforcement transparency on campus.

“This opportunity gives our students the ability to see who we are and what we do as the Augusta University Police Department. We are providing students an inside look at law enforcement services and on-the-job training on how to appropriately and professionally respond in various situations,” said Dyal.

Planned training topics include radio communications, building security, how to conduct escorts, golf cart safety, bicycle safety and traffic laws, as well as CPR, mental health and campus layouts.

Last year the AUPD hired Justin Goddard, a student athlete, for a social media coordinator post.

“We wanted somebody who is dedicated to this media platform who can help us reach that community. We are living in the digital age, after all,” said Dyal. “This was a pilot for bringing students into the department in preparation for the Jaguar Safety Patrol, and he has been great.”

Students who are interested in applying may email, visit the website or call Augusta University Career Services at 706-737-1604. Students may also apply directly through their individual account in the Handshake portal.