Jon Marcus worked as a security guard for the Johns Hopkins Hospital for eight years. When the Johns Hopkins Police Department (JHPD) opened applications to Hopkins security officers last year, it presented a "perfect" opportunity, Marcus says.
He was officially hired by the JHPD in August and started at the Howard County Police Academy in October, with Hopkins covering the costs.
"I always wanted to help people. I was always driven by the desire to help make my community better," Marcus says. "I felt like I wasn't doing enough. I feel like I could have been doing more."
Marcus graduated from the academy on May 14 and became the first entry-level officer to join the JHPD. Among those in attendance for the ceremony were Branville Bard, vice president for public safety at Johns Hopkins and the JHPD's chief of police, as well as Marcus's wife and 7-month-old daughter.
"I was very ecstatic," Marcus says of his graduation day. "My wife says she was more excited than me, but I was proud of myself."
The academy wasn't easy, Marcus says, especially when his wife gave birth to their daughter in late 2024. But he was determined to see it through.
"One of my football coaches had said to me, 'If you quit now, you always will be a quitter,'" he says. "I took that to heart. ... Every day, when things got hard, I was like, 'I can't quit this.'"
Johns Hopkins has taken a holistic, layered approach to public safety that incorporates community partnerships and public safety innovations into its operations to improve the overall well-being of the campus community. It's an approach that holds particular appeal for JHPD employees, Marcus included.
Bard is particularly interested in creating opportunities for individuals like Marcus to move up within the organization, an approach that supports the university's goal—articulated in its Ten for One strategic framework—to create clear, meaningful pathways for staff advancement.
"Establishing trust among the communities we serve is a critical part of our role as public safety officers," Bard said. "We are fortunate to be able to build a team of individuals who know Baltimore and who know Hopkins, officers who are familiar to people in our communities and who understand their needs and concerns.
"It was an honor to pin Officer Marcus's badge at graduation, as it was a proud moment for all of us at the JHPD," he added. "His journey reflects the heart of our mission: to build a department grounded in respect, service, and community partnership. I hope his example inspires others to join us in shaping a new era of public safety at Johns Hopkins."
To learn more about the JHPD, visit the Johns Hopkins Public Safety website.
Posted in University News
Tagged public safety
