Harvard Real Estate (HRE) has hired an independent security service to guard the Shops by Harvard Yard in the Holyoke Center arcade, even though the University has its own security service and police force.

Pinkerton Security Services, a well-known security agency, has already begun serving as the security for the newly opened shopping center.

HRE representatives could not be contacted yesterday, but one Harvard police officer interviewed last night said he thinks it is the first time that an outside company has been hired for security at the Holyoke Center.

The hiring of Pinkerton reintroduces the issue of competition between Harvard's own security unit and outside agencies for jobs on campus.

Last summer, the University's Vice President and General Counsel Mar- garet H. Marshall released a report afteralleged racial discrimination, in the University'ssecurity guard unit.

The Marshall Report said that competition withoutside companies was forcing the University'sguard unit to cut costs, leading to problemsbetween management and guards within the Harvardunits.

But the report suggested that outside agenciesmight do the job at a lower cost and with lessinternal problems than Harvard's own securityunit.

It is unclear whether the Pinkerton hiringindicates that HRE has come to the same conclusionas the Marshall report.

A senior police official, interviewed yesterdayon condition of anonymity, linked the recentcrackdown on homeless persons sleeping near thenew shops to the hiring of Pinkerton. The officialsaid the company was being particularly aggressivein working the Harvard police to arrest"transients."

Pinkerton employees on duty at Holyoke Centerdeclined to answer questions yesterday, and theheads of the company could not be reached forcomment.

Officials from Harvard's security unit alsodeclined comment yesterday