"He is tough and professional. I am convinced that he is by far the best choice for the job." With these words University Vice President Daniel Steiner '54 announced the appointment of Harvard's new Chief of Police. Paul E. Johnson, last November.

"Deputy Johnson has served the Department and the residents of the City of Boston with distinction. He has performed in the finest traditions of the department. His leaving creates quite a gap in the ranks of the command staff and he will be missed."

With those words. released to the media across the city at the same time as Steiner's announcement. Joseph C. Jodran. commissioner of the Boston Police Department. accepted the resignation of Johnson. a veteran commander of the Area B district.

But Johnson's appointment also brought allegations of poor management during his seven-year tenure as head of the district. A considerable group of supporters blame these problems on budget cutback. Johnson speculates that "some-one is obviously trying do a job on nic."

Up from the Bottom

Johnson is not the typical University administrator.

The new Chief of Harvard Police has survived nearly 25 years of police work. He began his career the bottom, as a patrolman on the beat in Roxbury in 1957. He moved through the officer ranks during the 1960s. promoted from within the department, his colleagues say. not because of political friendships but because of ability. In 1977. he became a deputy superintendent in the Boston Police and commander of Area B. one of Boston's most crime-ridden districts. encompassing Roxbury. Dorchester and Mattapan.

Johnson succeeds Saul L. Chafin. widely credited as one of the most successful Harvard Police chiefs ever for his generally successful efforts in rebuilding department morale after the troubled tenure of his predecessor. David L. Gorski Gorski become unpopular. current officers say. for what they call arbitrary decisions and an officers that made dialogue difficult.

Ceafin left the department earlier this year to accept a similar position at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Tenn., saying he was accommodating his wife. who wanted to live in the South

Criticism of Past

While Chafin was sharpening the Harvard Police in the '70s. Johnson became deeply involved with the problems of Area B His six years as director were a difficult time. the new chief admits. Critics charged that while he was Area Commander. certain crimes in the area. notably drug-related incidents, increased.

The reason, they say. involved reluctance by police to combat the problem. with considerable responsibility for this failure attributable to Johnson Community leaders like the Rev. Bruce Wall. Minister to Youth at the 12th Baptist Church in Roxbury and co-founder of Roxbury's Drop-a-Dime Program. charge that Johnson had difficulty communicating his ideas to the police on the street who then had to implement them. Such a lack of communication. Wall and others complain, made Roxbury and surrounding areas unpleasant places to live during the past decade.

However. many of these same critics are quick to note that in his last year in Area B. Johnson brought about considerable improvements in the police protection in Area B. While drug abuse continues to he a severe problem in the area. police have climinated some of the most flagrant examples of abuse.

Johnson and his supporters admit to considerable drug problems in Area B. but they blame the crime rate on declining police budgets. Fewer police means more crime and, Johnson's supporters argue. officers at the top unfairly become scape goals.

Poor Teamwork