Through collaboration with the students of Johns Hopkins University, members of the Loyola University Maryland community have called upon the university’s student body to testify against the Community Safety and Strengthening Act, which would allow private, armed police forces on the grounds of private universities like Hopkins and Loyola.

Loyola Rising, a student-led movement founded after the murder of Freddie Gray, protests violence targeted at black lives in Baltimore and beyond. This organization has joined The Students Against Private Police (SAPP), an organization of graduate students at Johns Hopkins University. SAPP was founded last year to fight against the initial discussions of this legislation.

According to the authors of Loyola Rising’s Official Statement Supporting SAPP, “The safety of our Loyola community, especially the safety of Black and Brown students and Black and Brown employees of the university, would be threatened by an armed private police force operating in such close proximity to our own campus.” This statement highlights the various instances of racial profiling by private police forces on college campuses around the nation, noting their fears of the dangers legislation like this may propose to a university such as their own.

Loyola Rising’s official statement is concluded with their three requests of Loyola’s campus, in collaboration with SAPP, and in retaliation to this proposed legislation. The organization first asks the community to sign their official statement.

Loyola Rising also asks the faculty of Loyola to submit their own testimonies against the Community Safety and Strengthening Act in an open letter format that identifies those in support.

Finally, the organization calls upon President Rev. Brian Linnane to release a public statement regarding “the imminent threat of an armed Johns Hopkins University private police force.”

In addition to written testimony from the Loyola community, Johns Hopkins University has called upon its neighbors to orally testify on Friday, Feb. 22 at 7 a.m. for the general assembly. Those interested in getting involved or learning more about the situation at hand can email [email protected].

Follow The Greyhound for more information on this legislation, the hearing, and more.