The Student Services Finance Committee met Wednesday night to discuss the future of the SAFE Services program, among other issues.

With an increase in popularity over the last two years, the SAFEride and SAFEwalk programs have become increasingly expensive. Until now, Transportation Services has picked up the slack. But with its own budget problems, SAFE Services sought additional funding from student segregated fees.

SSFC had previously made a decision on the SAFE budget, cutting $5,000 from the requested SAFEride budget and $10,000 from the requested SAFEwalk budget.

Reduced funding from SSFC is not the only major concern for the program. Jane Goemans, director of the SAFE programs, explained that if a trend set by SSFC showed decreased interest in the SAFEwalk program, Transportation Services would also decrease their support of the program, ultimately destroying the program.

Proponents of the SAFE Services appealed, rallying to the aid of the SAFEwalk program. They gave examples of how the SAFEwalk program has made campus a safer place in general.

“Being a woman on this campus, there are instances when it’s dark out and I don’t feel 100 percent safe walking home at night,” said Ann Gordon, UW student and frequent user of the SAFEwalk program.

Representatives of the program gave instances where SAFEwalkers went out of their way to make campus and the surrounding vicinity a safer place to be.

“Last summer, one team was making rounds on State Street and outside Badger Liquor, (and) they saw a man run out with a few bottles of liquor and then heard the shop clerk yell ‘Stop thief!'” said one SAFE representative. “The team followed the suspect and maintained contact with their dispatcher, who called the police. They helped MPD apprehend the thief.”

Other examples of SAFEwalkers coming to the aid of students include a group helping an unconscious girl by calling an ambulance, and another group getting a man who had passed out in a bathroom to the hospital.

A major point of concern for SSFC was the cost of the services. The cost of running the SAFEwalk program averages out to $110 per walk. Only 43 percent of a SAFEwalker’s time is actually spent walking students.

“Buying more $110 walks is throwing money down the toilet,” said SSFC rep. Ryan Nichols in opposition to the appeal of the budget. “This should not be reconsidered.”

While some of the committee members were concerned by the figures, SSFC rep. Rob Welygan spoke in justification of the program.

“I think it would be ridiculous to pay a gas station employee based on the number of customers that came in on the 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. shift,” Welygan said.

The appeal to reconsider the budget was approved, and the budget was reopened for inspection. After much deliberation over delegation of the proposed $242,847 overall funds, a proposal was narrowly approved, providing SAFEwalk with 50 percent of its total expense requirements.

This was seen as a move by the committee to affirm their belief in the SAFEwalk program.

Money for the SAFEwalk program was taken from the SAFEride cab program, which showed a 34 percent increase in use over the last year.

“I hope that the cab program and walk program can continue as they did in the past,” Goemans said. “But I am concerned.”

Also attending the committee meeting was the Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment organization, whose new budget totals $22,578, and Collegians For A Constructive Tomorrow, who will receive $65,250. This is a decrease from the nearly $76,000 that the group proposed.