Police Discuss Insensitivity

As violence sparked by the controversial Rodney King verdict racked Los Angeles yesterday, Harvard University Police Chief Paul E. Johnson met with representatives from a campus minority organization to discuss racial insensitivity in law enforcement at Harvard.

At yesterday's meeting, which was closed to the press, representatives from the police, the Black Students Association (BSA) and the Office for Race Relations and Minority Affairs agreed to investigate the possibility of creating a liaison between minority groups and the police department.

Assistant Dean of Race Relations and Minority Affairs Hilda Hernandez-Gravelle characterized the meeting as "very productive."

The meeting came on the heels of a BSA flyer circulated to the Harvard community, in which the group accused Harvard police of several incidents of racial harassment.

But Hernandez-Gravelle said that the purpose of the meeting was not to answer such allegations, and was in fact planned before the BSA published its flyer.

"Our primary goal is to look at how we can improve relationships between the police and students of color. This meeting was not a matter of confirming or denying, but of trying to find solutions," she said.

Art A. Hall '93, outgoing president of the BSA, agreed. "All the issues on the letter are important, but the letter was not necessary to provoke any response from the administration."

Johnson was not available for comment.

Hernandez-Gravelle said that the students at the meeting hoped "to create some formalized structure through which students and police can develop an understanding of the impact of racial insensitivity."

Hall, who also attended the meet- ing, described it as "very good."

"It was nice to see some police communicationwith minority students," he said.

The most important accomplishment of themeeting said Hall, was the realization that "theredoes need to be some kind of interaction betweenpolice and people of color. There needs to be anexchange, a forum for understanding."

He said that Harvard police chief Paul Johnson"has shown great concern for our issues."

"The administration as a whole has been veryreceptive to the BSA and all people of color," hesaid.

But Hall was quick to point out that racismremains a problem at Harvard and elsewhere. And hesaid it is a problem "that is deeper than just thepolice."

Citing the current violence in Los Angeles,Hall said "There's a heightened tension in theenvironment directed against minorities. Theconditions in this nation are such that thingshave to improve. Something needs to be done now,in a lasting way that won't fade.

"It was nice to see some police communicationwith minority students," he said.

The most important accomplishment of themeeting said Hall, was the realization that "theredoes need to be some kind of interaction betweenpolice and people of color. There needs to be anexchange, a forum for understanding."

He said that Harvard police chief Paul Johnson"has shown great concern for our issues."

"The administration as a whole has been veryreceptive to the BSA and all people of color," hesaid.

But Hall was quick to point out that racismremains a problem at Harvard and elsewhere. And hesaid it is a problem "that is deeper than just thepolice."

Citing the current violence in Los Angeles,Hall said "There's a heightened tension in theenvironment directed against minorities. Theconditions in this nation are such that thingshave to improve. Something needs to be done now,in a lasting way that won't fade.