Inauguration, Head Security Tight

Harvard officials said yesterday they are confident that campus security will be tight when thousands of people converge in the Square for next weekend's Head of the Charles Regatta and the inauguration of President Neil L. Rudenstine.

Several officials also said they see no conflict in the scheduling of Rudenstine's inauguration only 48 hours before the Head of the Charles.

But they said that in order not to inconvenience guests at the ceremony for Rudenstine, gates to the Yard, which are normally locked the Friday before the race to prevent a deluge of visitors from entering, will not be locked until Saturday afternoon.

In past years, the Regatta has drawn crowds of 200,000, and University spokesperson Peter Costa predicted that more than 10,000 people would come for the induction.

"President Rudenstine's inauguration Friday evening makes it impossible to lock the Yard," said Assistant Dean of Students Ellen H. Towne. "But we've noticed a decline in the level of activity on Friday evening and Saturday morning so providing added security and police coverage from Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon is a reasonable and prudent plan."

Towne said that the delay in locking the Yard is the only difference between this year's security plans and those of last year.

She added that other precautionary measures, including restrictions on the numbers of visitors and overnight guests students may have, will be enforced throughout the Regatta weekend. The University is also requiring advance registration for all social functions, including private parties.

In a notice, Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III warned that area police will enforce existing laws on alcohol consumption, trash disposal, and special race-day parking regulations.

"Security will be beefed up according to demands and activities taking place," said Lt. Larry J. Murphy of the Harvard University Police Department.

Other officials said they expect a quiet year, as pre-Regatta publicity has emphasized the competitive over the social element of the race.

"One of the initiatives by the Head of the Charles committee this year is sponsorship by corporations," said Towne.