Thousands sign petition calling on Johns Hopkins University to abandon its plan to create a private police force

As calls grow louder across the nation to defund police, a group of Johns Hopkins University (JHU) faculty members is urging the school to abandon its plan to create a private police force.

DEFUND POLICE DEPARTMENTSACROSS THE COUNTRY.

MEANWHILHERE IN BALTIMORE, THERERENEWED CALLS TO NIX THECREATION OF A PRIVATE POLICEFORCE AT JOHNS HOPKINSUNIVERSITY BEFORE IT EVEN GETOFF THE GROUND.

WMA━2 NEWSRAY STRICKLAND EXPLAINS WHYSOME PEOPLE BELIEVE AUNIVERSITY POLICE DEPARTMENTWOULD ONLY HARM MINORITY STAFFAND STUDENTS.As hundreds of thousands ofpeople protest policebrutality nationwide, a groupof JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITYFaculty members sent a letterto the CHOOL'S presidentopposing the creation of anarmed private police force.AND THEY CITED George Floyd'SDEATH as a reason for theuniversity to rethink thePLAN.

7:18“Ittroubling and very scary”ERINI Lambrides is a member othe Teachers and ResearchersUnion.

Itunion at Johns HopkinsUniversity.

Lambrides is oneof 2500 people who have nowsigned a petition opposing anarmed private police force oncampus.

8: 12“The entirecampus has voted from thfaculty level, graduate leveland under graduate level, anditto this police force” A groupof faculty members started thepetition and also sentletter to the universitypresident calling on him toNOT move forward with a campuspolice department.

The groupsays the nationwide protestdemanding police reform makeit clear a university policeforce could harm minoritystaff and students.

9:39“thefear is that people are goingto die.

The fear is thatpeople are going to getharmed.

And the fear is thatpeople are going to feelunsafe.

Thatyear, the state gave JohnsHopkins the go ahead to createa private police departmentbut to this date it has yet tomove forward.

In a statement,the university condemened themurder of George Floydoimurder of George Floydoinimurder of George Floydoiningththethe dethe demathe demandthe demand tthe demand tothe demand to enthe demand to endthe demand to end tothe demand to end to rthe demand to end to racthe demand to end to raciathe demand to end to racialininjuinjustinjusticinjusticesinjustices.injustices.

Thinjustices.

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The uninjustices.

The univinjustices.

The univerinjustices.

The universiinjustices.

The universitysays they take to heart therenewed questions on policing,adding“we are committed toestablishing this departmentthrough a slow, careful andfully open process” 10:56“Itthe university say they careabout black people, blacklives matter if one of themost contentious issueshappening right now on thestreets is not beincritically examined by our ownuniversity” And theuniversity also said the onlystep taken as it related tocreating this police force hasbeen meeting with theaccountability board.

Aspokesperson said there are noother steps planned as ofright now, but it will workwith the community beforeanything else is decided.Reporting in BaltimoreRayStrickland WMA━2 NewsBALTIMORE MAYOR JACK