A City Council panel will hold a public meeting Monday on Northeastern University’s decision to arm campus police with semiautomatic rifles, a move that committee members have said could raise mistrust and fear in neighboring communities.

The council’s Committee on Public Safety & Criminal Justice has invited the public to testify at the evening proceeding, which was sponsored by Councilors Tito Jackson and Josh Zakim.

Northeastern officials have said the university’s police force made the decision to upgrade their arsenal late last year, adding that they followed in the footsteps of other schools, including Tufts, MIT, and the University of Massachusetts Boston, as well as more than 60 other campuses across the country.

The new weapons were intended to be used in the case of high-level threats on campus.

In an interview Sunday, Jackson said he hopes the hearing will shed more light on the rationale behind the policy. He said the university “failed to inform the surrounding community about their intended approaches and implementation of miltary-style assault rifles for their police department.’’

“We have an expectation that councils and universities act as good neighbors,’’ Jackson said in the phone interview.

Boston Police Department officials, who have also criticized the policy, said the university notified them about it in November.

Northeastern officials could not be reached for comment Sunday, and it was not clear whether the university intended to send representatives to the hearing.

In December, Northeastern police chief Michael A. Davis said he believes the guns can help keep campus safe.

“Watch CNN for five minutes,’’ Davis said. “There are things that are happening around the country that cause us to pay attention.’’

Aimee Ortiz can be reached at aimee.ortiz@globe.com.