Abandon the formation of an armed private police force at Johns Hopkins University

Dear President Daniels and the Johns Hopkins University Board of Trustees:

Since May 30, people across the United States and the globe have protested in response to the deaths of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, African Americans who were killed by police officers and law enforcement professionals. These killings come on the heels of many others, including Tyrone West and Freddie Gray in Baltimore. As a nation, we are recognizing deeply-entrenched racism within law enforcement and demanding a comprehensive restructuring of the role of policing in this country. Leaders across Johns Hopkins University have recognized the pervasiveness of structural racism and are standing firm in opposition to oppression in all its forms. Deans, chairs, faculty, and student groups have acknowledged the barbarism of the killings and announced their intentions to stand in solidarity with those devoted to eradicating racism. On May 31st, President Daniels and leaders at the School of Medicine declared: “We must acknowledge that these vulnerabilities to violence and health crises faced by Black and Brown communities are borne out of continued racial disparities in education, employment, housing and criminal justice.”

President Daniels has proposed a “Journeys in Healing” virtual town hall series, but healing is not possible if we move forward with plans for a private police force. Recent events make it clearer than ever that the University’s plans to establish an armed police force are fundamentally at odds with our values as an institution.

Black and Brown students, faculty, and staff at Johns Hopkins and residents of Baltimore City have been clear: We are already disproportionately targeted by law enforcement and see a Hopkins police force as a threat to our safety and the safety of our friends and families.

Faculty and staff involved with community-based initiatives have been clear: The establishment of a private police force exacerbates long-standing wounds, compromising our ability to work in partnership with residents. It is hard to overstate the devastating impact that negative interactions between the Hopkins police and our community partners would have on our professional work and standing in the City. As a University, we need to lead the way in developing alternatives to policing and reimagining how to provide public safety.

The facts are clear: Law enforcement agencies across the nation have been unable to avoid the unjustifiable use of force and officer-involved assaults. The unfortunate reality is that an unjustified shooting or killing involving a Hopkins officer is likely. A preventable tragedy will lead to deep pain across our University, damage our relationship with the City, shatter our reputation as a global leader in education, and further jeopardize our financial stability.

We, the undersigned, call on you to abandon plans to establish an armed private police force at Johns Hopkins University.  

The letter received 6152 signatures as of 6/30/2020