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Math doesn't add up in Hopkins police force debate

Students Against Private Police continues its efforts to oppose the creation of a Johns Hopkins University private police force. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun video)

As an former graduate student at the Johns Hopkins University math department, I take issue with the numbers thrown around in the article concerning a private Hopkins police force ( ā€œMore than 60 Johns Hopkins University faculty members write letter protesting private police force,ā€ Feb. 18)

First, 60 faculty members are apparently unhappy with this idea. The article states there are 4,500 faculty members. That’s less than 1.5 percent. If that’s a ā€œ push back,ā€ it’s like pushing on a bank safe door with your fingernail.

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People of color are apparently stopped or detained in a city where the last Census states we have more than 60 percent people of color. That’s a given unless there’s discrimination against people ā€œnot of color.ā€

There seems to be plenty of data given from other schools where this has been effective, and finally the more qualitative comment that a local police force may not be good for community relations is not backed up by any data whatsoever. However, my only personal non-mathematical comment here would be that I don’t want this police force to improve relations with criminals, but only law abiding citizens.

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I wonder how the math department would view all this data?

Clark Brill

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