The 1000 private security workers at JHU also includes the uniformed, but not-armed, security guards who are stationed at almost EVERY street corner around the Homewood, Peabody and East Baltimore campuses every day; I have seen them at their posts as early as 6:30 am at the Homewood (undergrad) campus. I have not seen these security officers “in action” and it seems that their roles are to observe, and perhaps to deter. The state of Maryland has already cleared Hopkins to establish their own armed police force; some of the vocal protests are against the arming of such police force.
Some of the protesters in the news videos were carrying ACAB signs.
Thank you for pointing that out ( I have to look up what ACAB stands for). Ironically, the police force at the U Maryland campus in Baltimore (4 miles from Homewood but surrounded by economically depressed neighborhoods) has been armed for years and I have not heard of any complaints against their bearing of arms.
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It’s a very different type of school. UM@Baltimore is the professional schools - law, medicine, dentistry, nursing, SW, pharmacy. No dorms, everyone commuting. It is on a major street in downtown. There are people going into the hospital all the time, the dental clinics, even the law school (which is now a few blocks from the medical buildings). There is a fire station on one corner with all the noise and commotion that comes with that. There is not a separation between the school buildings and the city, not even a lawn or park whereas Hopkins has walls around many of the entrances and no where near as many members of the public just walking around.
I went to Hopkins and now live in Baltimore. It sounds like many posters aren’t that familiar with the city outside of its well publicized crime rate. Baltimore’s violent crime is overwhelmingly concentrated in its poorest neighborhoods where a Hopkins student would not ordinarily go. The area adjacent to the undergrad campus is quite safe, although kids need to be street smart as in any larger city (I.e. lock bikes, walk with friends after dark, etc. . .). Protests or not, the Hopkins piece force is happening.
In terms of the actual campus, Hopkins has a very pretty campus with primarily Georgian buildings. I am touring campuses now with my own child, and have a new appreciation for how nice Hopkins campus is. On this criteria it beats Tufts.
There is plenty of social life for those that want it. Greek life is popular but not consuming, I was in a sorority. Most people don’t realize that there is a sizable student athlete population at Hopkins. In addition to D1 men’s and women’s lacrosse, Hopkins regularly sends its football, baseball, swimming and track teams to the D3 ncaa playoffs/championships.
Happy to answer additional questions.
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According to this homicide map it appears that this would include most of the city except the area around and to the north of Hopkins.
Baltimore Homicides • Time frame = All of 2022 (baltimoresun.com)
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I’d LOVE to know more about the “credible” sources of these campus/town crime rates, particularly for a place like Orono, Maine. We are all educated people.
If any of us simply does an internet search for the “safest” or “most dangerous” campuses in the US, each website has a largely different list. It’s absurd.
While any college campus has the potential for all sorts of crime, U Maine-Orono is not a dangerous place by any means.
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D22 is a 1st year studying engineering at JHU. She has enjoyed her time at JHU. JHU engineering is a tough program although D22 has managed to do very well while still having time (barely) for being a recruited SA. She likes JHU being a small campus where her dorm is less than 10 minutes walk to anywhere on campus. I don’t know much about Tufts since D22 did not consider going there. There are a lot of security officers around JHU campus to keep the campus safe within the bubble, & D22 always walks with someone; still the scenario looks very different just a couple of blocks outside of the campus bubble.
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This article answers the question. I am based in New England, rarely heard about UMaine safety concern,
UMaine pushes back against poor, unfounded safety rating – The Maine Campus
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Hopkins should be thankful for Bloomberg’s generous donation, Tufts would go bankrupt if hire half of the number of security staffs, which is astonishing 1100. The budget of Hopkins is at least 100 million dollars.
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Thanks for sharing this.
I’d like to add that the UMaine police officers we have met / encountered are also kind human beings. They made a point to come around and meet the freshman during move-in weekend. They stopped and threw the frisbees around with kids, introduced themselves, answered questions. They are visible/available, care about the campus and the community, and their headquarters are easily accessible.
That said-
Do I know a LOT about them/their hostory? No.
I’m a NYer. Does Orono, Maine strike me as a dangerous, crime-ridden area? 100% No.
Are college students ANYWHERE always going to do stupid things and break laws? Of course.
I would go so far as to guess MOST crime that goes on around that area is UMaine-based. It’s an isolated area dominated by the campus. That perhaps makes it seem like a more “dangerous” campus than a campus in a larger city, where the actual city-based crime overwhelms/buries any crime on the actual campus.
Just a guess??!!
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The data cannot distinguish stealing a bicycle with robbery under gun point.
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Does the data distinguish between being sexually assaulted at a frat party by another student vs. being sexually assaulted on the street by a stranger- and does it matter if you’re the victim? You’re ending up in a local hospital getting a rape exam either way…
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Exactly.
I just checked, Tufts employs less than 100 security stuff. Comparing to JHU 1100 heads strong.
Therefore JHU is 11x safer.
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This tells you what exactly- that the police force in Medford has agreed to cover parts of the Tufts campus whereas the police in Baltimore do not? That a suburban location requires less policing than an urban one? That Tufts subcontracts out part of its security to a commercial provider so those folks don’t “count” in their employment numbers?
What do you think these numbers tell you?
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What do you think about the 11 times difference? Have you been to either campus?
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Tufts simply does not have the deep pocket of JHU, which is supported by Bloomberg, so contract out security is simply not a fact.