Johns Hopkins University's police force looks to add up to 30 more officers
BALTIMORE — Johns Hopkins University is expanding its police force.
The university police department is looking to add 20 to 30 officers in 2025, according to a university public safety spokesperson. Currently, there are 12 sworn officers.
This is part of the plan to employ about 100 people at the Johns Hopkins Police Department.
"Campus security is always good," said JHU student Deirdre Golla.
Sonja Merchant Jones, a member of the Johns Hopkins Police Accountability Board, said having officers on college campuses isn't new and the officers will uphold university standards.
"We spent lots and lots of time on this," Jones said.
Jones said slowly adding more officers to the police department was intentional.
"These police officers were put through their paces," Jones said. "This wasn't anything that was rushed because I'll say we want to get it right. I know I do."
Dr. Branville Bard, the Vice President of Public Safety and the Chief of Police for the Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins shared this statement with WJZ:
"During my time at Hopkins I have met with over 100 community and stakeholder groups and I commit to continue our work with the community to shape the JHPD as a model, community-oriented, transparent, and constitutional public safety organization."
"We have implemented national guidance on best practices and model policies from criminal justice reform efforts, social science research centers, and civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)."
"It is important to note that the JHPD is one small part of our Public Safety ecosystem. Importantly, we are also continuing the implementation of our public safety initiatives, including the Innovation Fund for Community Safety and the Behavioral Health Crisis Response Team."
Questions about officer assignments
Hopkins student Carlo Costigliola questions how those officers would be assigned.
"It just depends on what the configuration is, where are they spreading them out, what that means for the concentration security officers in one area versus another area," Costigliola said.
Students want focus on other initiatives
Student Frances Leiter told WJZ she understands the intent to roll out more police officers. However, she'd like to see more of a focus on other initiatives.
"As a whole, the issue is not just putting more cops or bodies out on the streets," Leiter said. "Maybe it's better to, like look into opening more mental health clinics, having more homeless shelters in place."
The department's addition comes as the university continues its effort to support community programs and initiatives centered around curbing violence.
Johns Hopkins University closed an application process this week for community groups to apply to access $6 million in grants from the Innovation Fund for Community Safety. This is the second round of $6 million.
How Johns Hopkins formed a police department
A Maryland law signed in 2019 allowed Johns Hopkins to create its own private armed police force for its Baltimore campuses. At the time, university president Ronald Daniels said the department would have 100 officers who would be subject to the highest standards of policing.
In 2020, the university paused its plan to create a private police force after nationwide protests erupted over police brutality following the death of George Floyd, a man who died in Minneapolis when a police officer kneeled on his neck.
In 2022, the proposal was revived and put forward for public comment.
According to draft documents, the armed officers are allowed to wear body cameras and will patrol the university's Homewood, Peabody and medical campuses.
The officers will only be allowed to use police powers off campus if they are pursuing a suspect or directing traffic.
Police department protests
Johns Hopkins students, staff and community advocates protested for years the university's development of its private police department.
Students staged protests, disrupted public meetings, and a group called the "Coalition Against Policing by Hopkins" filed a lawsuit over the Memorandum of Understanding between the Baltimore Police Department and JHPD.
The memorandum draws jurisdictional boundaries between BPD and JHPD, organizes which agency responds to certain calls for service, and dictates when city police would lead an investigation.
In 2022, protesters shut down two town halls held to discuss the formation of the police force. The town halls were required by Maryland law to be held before a police department was created.
