A group that opposes John Hopkins University establishing a campus police force has filed a lawsuit, hoping the court will slow down the process.
Three Baltimore residents -- members of the Coalition Against Policing by Hopkins -- filed the suit against the State of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University and the Baltimore City Police Department last week.
Currently, the state, Hopkins and the Baltimore City Police Department need to come to an agreement to establish the private police force. State lawmakers approved the force in 2019. The department and Hopkins are currently working on a Memo Of Understanding (MOU), which would establish the parameters of the Hopkins force.
However, a referendum on the November ballot could give the mayor and City Council control over the Baltimore City Police Department, rather than the Maryland General Assembly.
The plaintiffs hope the delay in approving the MOU along with the success of the ballot question will allow them to lobby the mayor and the City Council against the Hopkins force.
"The city of Baltimore's elected officials, not the police department of Baltimore City, should decide whether to allow a private police department to operate within the city of Baltimore and in particular whether public city property is to be placed under the jurisdiction of a private police department," the lawsuit read.
It's unclear whether the group will be successful even if they prevail in court. When asked about the Hopkins force earlier this week, Mayor Brandon Scott did not oppose the plan, saying many universities have police forces.
Meanwhile, Hopkins officials held a third and final town hall Friday on the MOU with the Baltimore City Police Department. Unlike the previous two forums, this town hall was held online. Protesters disrupted both in-person town halls.
Hopkins recently revived the police force plan after it shelved the idea in 2020 after backlash from students and residents who live near the Homewood Campus in North Baltimore.
Activists were concerned about how the Hopkins police force would interact with people of color, both students and local residents.
Hopkins responded by scaling back the scope of the force and investing in other public safety initiatives, including adding a behavioral health component. However, these adjustments along with the two-year pause, have not satisfied opponents who say more police officers on the streets of Baltimore are not the answer.
Hopkins already employs more than 1,000 private security workers. However, these new officers would have all the powers of a Baltimore City police officer. Hopkins wants to maintain about 100 officers for the new force.
The university maintains that the force is needed to address rising crime around its campuses.
Last week, Hopkins published its memo of understanding with the Baltimore City Police Department, one of the first official steps to form the force.
The memo said Hopkins officers would focus on crimes like theft, robbery and burglary. The Baltimore City Police Department would still handle major crimes such as homicide, rape and assault if they occur on or near campus. The force would be responsible for patrolling Hopkins' three city campuses -- the Peabody Institute in Mount Vernon, the medical school in East Baltimore and the main university campus in North Baltimore.
Follow Digital Reporter Tim Swift on Twitter. Email: swift@foxbaltimore.com.