Harvard Police: New Programs and old Criticism

Harvard Police Chief Paul E. Johnson must recognize the irony of his situation.

In February, Johnson hires the department's most ethnically diverse class of officers ever and announces a highly-praised community policing program.

Three months later, minority groups on campus publicly charge the department with discrimination and a handful of minority security guards describe racial harassment the division.

"WE had our ups and downs," Johnson notes.

The chief appears somewhat worn during the year's last interview. He takes a deep breath, and defends once more the integrity of the department.

For much of the year, it was business-as-usual for the campus cops: catching criminals, protecting dignitaries, breaking up parties.

one of Johnson's biggest headaches was a rash of bike thefts that plagued the Houses and the Yard.

"Bike larcenies are a problem," says Johnson. "There is a big visible black market out there in bikes."

But bike thefts are far from the most serious crimes in Cambridge. Johnson cites a rise in the number of major arrests in the past few months.

"We've locked up people responsible for 15 to 20 larcenies of credit cards," says Johnson.

Harvard Police also helped capture a man who pulled a gun on Harvard lacrosse players just one week after shooting three people in Boston.

Two months later, Harvard detectives traveled to New Hampshire and nailed a longtime Harvard yard wallet thief.

That arrest, described as "well executed," boosted morale in the department. But Johnson says spirits were at a peak with the addition of 11 new officers in February.

The class was the largest group hired since the mid-seventies, and the most diverse (including two Blacks, one Asian, and three women) in the history of the department.

"Hiring the new officers was a high point during the year," says Sgt. Larry J. Fennelly, who coordinated the rookies' graduation and orientation in the department.

The 11 rookies took some of the pressure off the veteran officers, Johnson says.

With the department strengthened, Johnson launched a new community policing program. This involved introducing the officers to students and assigning regular patrols of the yard and the Houses.

"This is part of the 'Park and Walk' system that is being implemented across the country," says Johnson. "We had to have the man-power before we could begin the plan."

"Johnson originally planned to introduce the officers to students in March, but training took longer than expected.

"By the time school begins in the fall, we will introduce them," Johnson says. "People will ultimately get to know them."

Johnson also hopes the Harvard community will forget the racial harassment charges against the department by the fall.

In late April, the Black Student Association (BSA) distributed a flyer condemning the police Department for treating Blacks as "second-class citizens."

BSA President Zaheer R. Ali '94, who helped write the flyer, listed four incidents in which he alleged the police mistreated Black students because of their race.

"This suggests an attitude that police can't believe that Black students go here," Ali said after the flyer was distributed.

Johnson, who is Black, denied any mistreatment of Black students by his officers, and said he would meet with BSA and other minority organizations until the perception of racism is gone.

Looking back, Johnson also sees a bright side to the allegations.

"The latest spate of accusations of insensitivity has demanded much attention," Johnson says. "But in the long run, although the charges are unfair, I believe it will make us more professional at the department."

The BSA distributed its flyer just two weeks before police stations across the country would face scrutiny after the Rodney King verdict was announced.

"The King verdict also affected morale. But that will pass eventually," says Johnson.

Harvard students were among many Americans to lose respect for police officers after the Los Angeles riots.

New allegations of racism in the security guard division didn't make things any better.

Two guards and one former guard publicly charged that supervisors harassed and even fired guards because of their ethnicity.

"[Security supervisor] Bonnie Henna has definitely harassed me--at least 25 different times," said one Black guard in mid-May.

Johnson and Robert J. Dowling, manager of operations for security, denied the charges of racism in the department.

"How could I, as a Black man, tolerate a racist supervisor?" Johnson said after the charges were leveled.

Some members of the patrol division do not believe there is any discrimination among the officers.

"There is no racism in the locker room or anything like that," says officer George F. Pierce, who has been with the department for 22 years. "If there were, I would be personally offended."

But the opinion in the security division is divided. Some guards say they see racism all the time.

"It's been blatant--racial problems within the guard unit, stuff has been said to me," says one Black guard.

Others respond to the charges with disbelief. "I have never seen racial problems in almost six years here," says Claverly Hall guard Phil Hajra.

Although Johnson denies the allegations, he recognizes the effect the charges have had on the force.

"The recent spate of allegations in the security and police divisions certainly do not enhance morale," he acknowledges. "But the truth is forth coming and morale will improve."

Johnson looks forward to September, when the community policing program will be in full swing. He hopes the new program will help correct some of the public's misperceptions.

"We need to get fully involved with the community and satisfy its needs," says Johnson.