Following several months of community engagement, the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) and Johns Hopkins University (JHU) have executed the final Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Johns Hopkins Police Department. Read the message from Dr. Branville Bard, Vice President for Public Safety.
The development of the MOU has been transparent and relied on extensive community engagement and input. The final MOU, modified to reflect the community feedback received, can now be found on our public safety website. We also encourage you to review our frequently asked questions for further information, as well as read more about the process and continue to share feedback below or at publicsafety@jhu.edu.
Consistent with police departments at universities in Baltimore City and across Maryland, Johns Hopkins is required by the Community Safety and Strengthening Act, to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) regarding key operational details of the JHPD, including jurisdictional boundaries, the use of body worn cameras, arrests, warrants, investigations, and hiring.
Johns Hopkins committed to exceed its legislative requirements and committed to an extensive community engagement process in advance of finalizing the MOU:
By the conclusion of the feedback period, more than 250 comments and questions were submitted by the community. On December 2, 2022, the final 21-page MOU document, initially released in draft form in September, was published, reflecting the community feedback received over the past two months.
In addition to making the final MOU public, we are sharing an independent report created by experts at 21CP Solutions, a consulting group that helps cities and communities transform the delivery of equitable and integrity-driven public safety services. JHU also published a separate document listing each of the more than 250 comments and questions received during the feedback period along with notes on how that feedback is being addressed.
Nearly all of the MOU-related feedback received was incorporated into the final document. Some examples of language adjusted or added to clarify ideas included:
In the months ahead, the public will have additional opportunities to provide feedback in the development of the many policies and procedures that will guide the operations of the JHPD. We expect the JHPD implementation phase to last for approximately six to 12 months and that the Accountability Board will be an integral partner each step of the way.
The abovementioned resources can also be found below:
To learn more, we encourage members of our community to read Vice President Bard’s message. Please also continue to share feedback below or at publicsafety@jhu.edu.
Note: We are moving the full, live presentation and facilitated Q&A discussion to a livestream format. Members of the community are invited to either watch the livestream in-person in Turner Auditorium or online (Virtual Events or Youtube).
Share your comments and questions about the MOU using the form below or via email at publicsafetyfeedback@jhu.edu.
[1] Timeline and projected finalization of MOU may be subject to change.
[2] As defined in CSSA legislation and limited by law to primary campus areas around Homewood, Peabody, and Baltimore campuses.
