Despite the fact that Hopkins is ranked number one in security by Reader's Digest, a number of undergraduates have complained to the University's security department and to the Residential Advisory Board that they feel unsafe.
In response, the Baltimore City Police Department, Charles Village Benefits District and the Hopkins administration are currently working together to increase security measures around the greater Homewood area.
They are applying a more thorough multi-layer security approach in protecting the people of Charles Village.
The Charles Village Community Benefits District is also currently spending around one-third of its $650,000 budget for the 2008 to 2009 fiscal year on security, an increase of two percent from the 2007 to 2008 fiscal year.
The Charles Village Benefits District receives its income from the Homestead Tax applied on residents of Charles Village.
A Hopkins student who lives a block down 33rd from Subway in a rowhouse described one instance when he was a victim of crime in Charles Village.
One morning, he woke up early to go to lab and when he went downstairs to make his coffee, he noticed that the second floor room door and the dining room window were open.
"They really need to do something about the security here. I went about my usual morning routine and when I went to get my bike to ride to work, I noticed it was gone. Eventually my housemates and I checked around the house and found that a lot of our stuff was stolen," sophomore Shane Steinert-Threlkeld said.
In the past week, the surrounding neighborhoods of Hopkins have witnessed a wave of criminal activity. Five robberies involving a total of six victims took place throughout the vicinity of 30th to 33rd Streets, North Charles Street and St. Paul.
Three of the victims were Hopkins undergraduates and a Hopkins employee. All of the crimes either took place early in the morning between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. or early in the evening just after 7 p.m.
According to security reports and accounts from numerous students, these incidents have been happening more and more frequently.
"I know people who have been mugged on St. Paul below 31st which is where the Hop Cop patrol stops. I have a friend who lives in a house on the same block I was living in, and he got robbed on a Friday night as well. It's a growing problem," Steinert-Threlkeld said.
The Charles Village Community Benefits District (CVCBD) has recently added community patrol officers with the Hopkins foot patrol and ABS bike officers along the North Charles Street corridors to help augment the off-duty uniform Baltimore Police Officers who patrol on Charles and St. Paul Streets.
"The CVCBD understands the importance and need for higher security around the neighborhood. We feel it is necessary to allocate a large amount of our funds to safety and security to not just better protect the residents of Charles Village but Hopkins undergraduates as well," Jeff Millard, a member of the CVCBD board of directors, said.
The CVCBD uses its $205,000 safety budget on many security projects such as the Neighborhood walkers, CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams), block leaders and the Porch Light Project. A relatively new project currently being enhanced by the CVCBD is their Safety Team, a group of Community Safety Officers who patrol the District on foot, bicycle and in motor vehicles during daytime and early evening hours.
According to Millard, these men and women are the "eyes and ears" of the neighborhood, providing a friendly, organized and uniformed presence on the street. The District Community Safety Officers do not have arrest authority, and do not carry weapons or handcuffs unlike the Baltimore City Police Department.
But the Safety Officers do create an atmosphere to prevent incidents, provide information about the District and about community safety and educate area businesses and neighbors on city ordinances, such as on trash days and dumping.
Despite these measures, the protection and well-being of the residents of Charles Village and the students of the undergraduate campus is a collaborative effort. The CVCBD, Baltimore City Police Department and Hopkins have increased their efforts to work more closely in the hopes of better helping the Greater Homewood area.
"The District Safety Team benefits from a close working relationship with the Baltimore Police Department, Johns Hopkins University and Union Memorial Hospital Safety Patrol and other law enforcement entities," Millard said.
The Hopkins Security has been increasing the security around Homewood campus and Charles Village as well. Security Alerts of criminal activity that may affect students, faculty and staff are now being distributed to a number of area businesses for posting.?The alerts are also given to the Charles Village Benefits Office for dissemination to various community representatives and members.
Recently, the Hopkins Police have been conducting residential house surveys. So far this year, they have surveyed several Greek Houses and private residential sites around the neighborhood.? This is currently a free service available by request.?
Hopkins Security encourages students to contact them prior to obtaining residency to discuss the crime trend, if any, in the areas they are looking to reside in.
One of the more effective security measures established last year, which is being further developed, is the Hopkins Crime Watch Program. It was recently awarded the 2007 Governor's award for crime prevention due to the efforts of Hopkins students and employees to be proactive in crime prevention.
"This program enlists the added eyes and ears of our students, faculty and staff to help combat crimes in their respective neighborhoods and throughout all of Baltimore City. To date we have enlisted over 1,500 crime watchers," Lieutenant Steven Ossmus, head of investigations for Hopkins Security, said.
The biggest overhaul by the Hopkins security has been the installation of security cameras across Homewood campus and Charles Village. The 155 cameras around campus are now equipped with this new behavior recognition software. This new technology allows Hopkins Security the opportunity to see suspicious activity before it may become an offense and immediately dispatch officers to investigate that activity.?
Additionally, they have increased the number of e-phones to 109 strategically placed around campus and in the adjacent neighborhoods on property owned by the University.?The phones serve as a means for emergency contact with the Hopkins Security Communication Center.
Carrie Bennett, who worked in the University's Security Department for 12 years before being appointed the student-community liaison and compliance officer in 2005, believes that the increased security measures of both Hopkins Security and the CVCBD will greatly help the anxieties of the Hopkins undergraduates and the residents of Charles Village.
"The security measures we are taking will better protect Hopkins's students and our neighbors," Bennett said. "With more security cameras, e-phones and BPD officers patrolling on campus, we'll be able to deal with all problems that might come up more quickly and effectively."
Many students currently living off campus as well as unaffiliated residents are excited about the community and the University's newest initiative to bring more security to Hopkins and Charles Village. A fair number of students and locals cited that this increase in security will help solve the complaints and issues of both the students and the community.
"Naturally, adding more cameras, lights and cops on and around campus makes people feel more at ease. When you see a police officer or a security guard around, you can't help but feel safer," sophomore Jeffrey Chu said.
"The very presence of the BPD and Hopkins's security repels any criminal activity around the area," Bruce Reik, a North Village resident, said.
Some undergraduates feel, though, that just increasing the amount of security measures is not enough to deter crime around Charles Village and Homewood campus.
"Look. It's nice adding more cops and security cameras around but is that really going to do much? When it comes to security, is it always necessarily the quantity of security, not quality, that matters? I just feel the school and the CVCBD haven't done enough thinking on their part," sophomore Will Choi said.
Nonetheless, the CVCBD and Hopkins administration are hopeful that these increased measures will help deter criminal activity from neighboring residents and students.
"Our great working relationships with the Charles Village Community Association and Charles Village Benefits District exhibits the strong commitment Campus Safety and Security gives to the students and residents of Charles Village community," Ossmus said.
