Applications are being accepted through Nov. 28 for seven open positions on the Johns Hopkins University Police Accountability Board, which will help directly shape the development and operation of the future Johns Hopkins Police Department as a model of transparent, accountable, community-oriented policing.
Created by the Community Safety and Strengthening Act in 2019, the 15-member accountability board includes three community members unaffiliated with the university and 10 JHU students, faculty members, and staff—including at least one member of the Johns Hopkins Black Faculty and Staff Association—drawn from across the three campuses where the future JHPD will operate: East Baltimore, Homewood, and Peabody. The remaining two seats are appointed directly by Baltimore's mayor and city council president.
The university is currently accepting applications to fill one faculty vacancy, two staff vacancies, and one current student vacancy, as well as three future student vacancies due to upcoming graduations. An open call for applicants to join the board was first shared with the Hopkins community last month.
Though the development of the JHPD is still on hold, Branville Bard, Johns Hopkins' newly appointed vice president for public safety, has expressed his firm belief that the accountability board is an invaluable tool for the university in ensuring that the Hopkins community's values and input are considered for public safety more broadly, and from the beginning of the department's creation.
Accountability board members are charged with sharing community feedback directly with Johns Hopkins leadership, reviewing metrics involving crime, and assessing current and prospective department policies, procedures, and training in order to provide recommendations for improvement. Unique both in Maryland and throughout the country, the accountability board was among the recommendations in the Interim Study on Approaches to Improving Public Safety on and around Johns Hopkins campuses and is designed to empower the Johns Hopkins community and its neighbors to help shape the development and operation of the Johns Hopkins Police Department.
To apply, or to learn more about the JHU Police Accountability Board, visit the Public Safety Initiatives website. Applications must be received by Sunday, Nov. 28, at 11:59 p.m.