The chief of the Harvard University Police Department yesterday expressed grave concern about the alteration of a "wanted" poster and the recent circulation of the altered poster in some of the undergraduate houses.

The original poster, circulated by the police, featured an artist's composite drawing of a black male suspected in a string of recent burglaries in Matthews Hall.

The altered version of the poster included the all of the same information except that the drawing of the suspect had been replaced with a caricature of a black male and the words "Afro-American."

"This smacks pretty close to a civil rights violation because somebody might get wrongfully stopped because of it. The face looks pretty close to what might be a real person," Johnson said. "There are also some racial overtones here. It's a very serious matter, and we will look into it".

"Somebody obviously has taken it and used a computer to make another face," Johnson said. "They probably think this is a hell of a joke but it's really not funny at all".

"For somebody to take this and to make a parody of it is really just ridiculous because it goes against the community. We put these up to protect the community and to change them goes against the community".

Chief Johnson said that the original poster had been circulated at a meeting with officials from the Freshman Dean's Office when the string of break-ins at Matthews was discussed. The sign subsequently was photocopied and distributed across campus.

Johnson said he did not know how or when the altered poster appeared. He said that he first learned about it when contacted yesterday by The Crimson.

While vowing to investigate the matter, Johnson said that he would also contact College administrators and the Freshman Dean's Office Sabout the altered posters.

The altered posters have appeared so far in Adams, Winthrop, Cabot and Leverett Houses, according to students.

Kristal C. O'Bryant '98, chair of the Black Students Association, said last night that she had not seen the posters but that the incident sounded "very disturbing.