Nicholls State University students have been complaining about parking tickets for a while. 

There have been rumors that parking has become worse over time at Nicholls. University Police Officer Aaron Fetty doesn’t think so. 

“I went to college here, too—we had to walk to class,” Fetty said. “I don’t think parking is any worse, but I think a lot of it is that the enforcement has gotten a lot heavier.” 

Fetty also says because of social media, mainly YikYak, parking tickets appear to be more of an issue. YikYak is known for its anonymous posts, and students often post about where parking tickets are being handed out. 

Not only students can get tickets, as guests are just as prone to receiving a ticket. 

“If you don’t get a decal, you get a ticket,” Fetty stated. 

Parking decals can be purchased at any time at the Office of Parking Services for $50. Guests are encouraged to get a visitor’s pass, also obtained in the same place.

Nicholls Police wants everyone to have some form of identification on all vehicles in case of an emergency. 

Parking tickets are $50, but are $70 if you don’t have a decal. Fetty explained that the higher price is to get students to purchase decals if they don’t already have one. The 20 extra dollars is the charge for not having a decal, while the other 50 dollars goes towards getting the student decal. If a student has a decal and gets a ticket for parking in the wrong places, they also have to pay $50. There’s a $250 fee if you park illegally in a handicaped spot as well.

Another parking issue students complained about is how Nicholls police allegedly do not give warnings to students for their first parking violation. Fetty said that the department spends the first two weeks of the new semester giving warnings to cars who are parking in the wrong areas. 

“This year alone I think it was a few thousand warnings given out,” Fetty stated. 

He went on to say that a warning system isn’t feasible for Nicholls because they have no way to track who they give warnings to. He said that officers on campus can see the change immediately when it comes to handing out warnings during those first weeks, as students start learning where they need to go after that. 

Students can appeal tickets if they feel that the ticket was unreasonable, but students are also able to pay the ticket off by community service. 

“The whole point is to get people to try and do the right thing. It works better for us if they all do,” Fetty said. 

Student interactions are phenomenal, he stated. They have a good time and are able to laugh about past tickets he had given them. He does understand that getting a ticket is upsetting—he’d rather not get one either.

Fetty said that he loves the community he is surrounded with, and the strong connection their office has with students on Nicholls campus.