Bok Committee Offers Students Car, Whistles to Deter Crime

The Harvard University Police will offer rides throughout the campus for students unable to reach the shuttle-buses or to obtain escorts, according to an interim report of President Bok's Committee on Crime, released yesterday.

Beginning today, stranded students may call the University police for the free service.

The Committee has also authorized Buildings and Grounds to install additional lighting in dark sections of the campus. The Planning Office will soon designate "safe routes" for pedestrians.

Harvard has purchased 800 security whistles which are available free of charge from the University Police in Grays Hall.

Community Victims

Daniel Steiner '54, general counsel to the University, and committee member, said the he will study the disposition of cases where members of the community are victims. "I want to look at the process and see if it is going as well as it should," he said.

The report also announced that there will be a new drive to stencil all moveable items like TV sets. Charles U. Daly, vice president for government and community affairs, said success in such an effort would deter criminals from entering Harvard property. The final step is the expansion of Harvard's bus service. Another bus has been acquired to supplement the two now in operation.

Daly said the committee consulted other schools in urban settings such as the University of Chicago and the Universsty of Pennsylvania, where similar programs have been successful.

Males Victimized

He added that statistics show that men are most often the victims of violent crime in this area. "There is nothing wrong with a guy wearing a security whistle," Daly said.

Stephen S. J. Hall, vice president for administration, said yesterday that the ferry will serve "people who are concerned about going out alone or even as a pair."

Taxi-Cab Service

Hall said he hoped students would not abuse the back-up service. "It's not a taxi-cab service for a guy going to get a pizza," he said.

Committee members urged students not to involve themselves physically to prevent a crime. Hall said that people who interfere often become victims.

He asked that people call the police instead. The planning office will probably approve installation of a number of phones with direct lines to the Harvard Police, Hall said.

Steiner said he will try to get all victims of assault to prosecute apprehended criminals. Steiner added that Harvard will interrogate victims if his study determines the District Attorney has too great a workload to deal adequately with the situation.