June 12, 2020 - 3:58 PM
BALTIMORE - Johns Hopkins University, a thriving private research institution with one of the world’s foremost medical schools, is suspending the creation of a new armed police force similar to those patrolling numerous other U.S. colleges and universities.
University leaders announced Friday that the ongoing civil unrest related to police violence had led the school to delay implementing the Johns Hopkins Police Department for at least two years.
The school announced plans to create its own police force last year, sparking debate between those who want to increase campus safety as Baltimore struggles with violent crime and those who fear police profiling.
The announcement comes amid widespread calls for police reform in response to the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes.
News from © The Associated Press, 2020