Johns Hopkins University warns of crime uptick as campus moves forward with private police force
BALTIMORE - Johns Hopkins University officials are warning staff and students about safety after an uptick of crimes recently on campus.
Between Oct. 6 and Oct. 27, there were six armed robberies reported on or around the Homewood campus, and another one near the Peabody campus, campus officials said.
School officials said that two of those were abductions or attempted abductions.
"These acts of violence tear at the fabric of our community, and the university is working to support the victims, increase our public safety presence in the area, and assist the Baltimore Police Department in its investigations, which are ongoing," said Branville G. Bard, Vice President for Public Safety at Johns Hopkins University.
The uptick in crime comes as Johns Hopkins University has plans in place to establish its own private police force.
According to the draft document, the university's armed officers will wear body cameras and are responsible to patrol the university's Homewood, Peabody and medical campuses.
They'll only be allowed to exercise police powers off campus when pursing a suspect or directing traffic, while city police handle crimes that require a mobile crime unit.
Students have pushed back against those plans, holding protests and standoffs against university officials.
In September, a group forced their way into Turner Auditorium to interrupt a virtual presentation on the school's on-campus police plans.
Other meetings were disrupted as well.
The plan was has been in the works for weeks, but was put on hold three years ago after the nationwide protests erupted following the death of George Floyd, who died after Officer Derek Chauvin pinned him to the ground with a knee on Floyd's neck.
Johns Hopkins officials are reviewing security footage, interviewing potential witnesses and talking with the Baltimore City Police Department about the most recent crimes.
"University officials have also been in close contact with the victims of all of these incidents to support their physical and mental well-being," Bard said.
In the meantime, public safety officers will be increased in the areas on campus that have been most impacted by crimes.
There will also be more public safety escorts near Johns Hopkins parking lots and transportation.
"In addition to these immediate steps, we continue to move forward with the establishment of the Johns Hopkins Police Department (JHPD), a small, community-oriented police department that will operate on the Homewood, Peabody, and East Baltimore campuses," Bard said. "Once implemented, the JHPD will play a critical role in strengthening our existing public safety organization, reducing our reliance on BPD, and ensuring that we have the resources available to help interrupt clusters of crime in our community."
