Accept Civilian Review

ALONG WITH THE NEWS that Harvard University Police are facing a $2 million lawsuit for detaining and searching eight Black teenagers without sufficient cause comes a slew of questions. Why were the youths stopped if they didn't match the description of the suspect the police were searching for? Why, if the youths are telling the truth, weren't they told why they were being stopped? Why did Cambridge police stand by during the 1984 incident and watch Harvard police question the youths? What, by the way, constitutes sufficient cause to stop youths strolling through the Square?

And, more basic than these: Who should look for the answers? That at least is an easy one--thanks to the initiative of the Cambridge City Council. Following an alleged instance of harassment on the part of Cambridge police, the council set up a Civilian Review Board, which met for the first time three weeks ago. The Civilian Board is the right group to consider disputes involving Harvard's own police.

Unfortunately, Harvard police don't think so. They argue that their internal review process is adequate and that police are better suited to review police than civilians who haven't put in time in the trenches. There is, of course, more subtlety to the Harvard Police argument, but there isn't any more substance. That kind of thinking is just plain wrong.

The Harvard police conducted an internal investigation of the case before and after the charges were filed and found no evidence of wrongdoing. That may be the correct conclusion, but everyone would feel a bit more confident if it came from civilians with no interest in the case.

Harvard students as well would feel more comfortable if they knew that they could, if mistreated by Harvard police, appeal to a body outside the University. The current internal review process under which students may appeal alleged police misconduct is inadequate since the University has a vested interest in squelching the progress of complaints against its own police.

There is no reason for Harvard police, who continually impress us with their professionalism, to lack the confidence to submit to civilian oversight. If Harvard police accept the Board, they will earn an additional measure of the community's respect and set an example for their Cambridge colleagues, who remain cool to the idea of civilian review.

If the Harvard police don't go along with the obvious intent of the Cambridge law, however, the City Council should simply amend it to include explicitly all police operating within city limits.