Chief of the Harvard University Police Department Paul E. Johnson last night announced a plan to assign officers to specific areas of the campus in an effort to make the department more accessible to the community.

At an Undergraduate Council meeting, Johnson said he will designate a particular police officer to each house and dorm to increase familiarity between police officers and students.

"I would like specific officers to attend house meetings and be a part of dorm life," Johnson said. "Students would get to know [the officers], and the officer would be responsible toward following through on any house-related security concerns."

Johnson said he plans to implement this program in early March, when a new class of nine Harvard University police officers joins the force.

The officers would serve as a constant reference on security matters and students would get to know the officers personally, he said.

"If nothing else, you can get to know us by our first names," said Johnson.

Johnson also said that the officers would always have the same substitute on their days off.

Johnson described the plan during a council forum on campus security concerns. Johnson and Cambridge Police Commissioner Perry L. Anderson addressed council members and responded to questions.

The meeting was the first open meeting the twopolice leaders have held before a student audienceand was heralded by some observers as a sign thatboth police forces are becoming more accountableand accessible to community members.

"This is one instance where the two chiefsactually shook hands on a new policy in front ofstudents," said Council Chair David A. Aronberg'93.

Johnson's plan mirrors changes toward increasedpolice-community interaction that Anderson hasalready implemented in the Cambridge policedepartment.

Anderson, who was appointed Cambridge's firstcommissioner last spring, recently created acitizens' advisory board for feedback and expandedthe auxiliary community force from 50 to 100members.

"I think we can see the police evolving into anew era, one where we realize that we cannot do italone, where people are important," Anderson said.

Aronberg, who said security is the "number oneconcern on campus," said he plans to appointcouncil members to the citizens' advisory board asa formal liaison between the students and thepolice.

The meeting was a significant step forward inrelations between the two police forces. The twodepartments are currently hammering out a formalagreement that will allow them to work togethermore efficiently.

The Cambridge and Harvard forces are alreadyworking as partners in a number of areas,including dru