"I hope that a student committee can beimplemented that can work with the police staff inthe selection of the new chief," she said.

Rooney said this week that he thought havingstudents on the committee "certainly wouldn'thurt."

"When you're trying to fill a position asimportant as this one, it doesn't hurt to have asdiverse a committee as possible, so that it's atrue representation of the community we serve,"Rooney said.

Reaching Out

According to Herbert J. Vallier, the policedepartment's associate director for finance andadministration, the committee has just begun itsactivities.

"We're not even close to the candidate searchprocess," he said this week.

Clarke said that considerable studentrepresentation--especially a strong Blackrepresentation--is needed on the committee, inlight of incidents such as the alleged harassmentof a Black student and the charges of "Excessive"force at last week's Adams House party.

In December 1992, Inati Ntshanga '95 wasarrested by Harvard police while he was working inthe Matthews Hall linen office as an employee ofHarvard Student Agencies. Police charged Ntshangawith breaking and entering, trespassing and use ofa burglary tool--his keys to the room. Ntshangawas later acquitted of all charges.

Clarke and other students said that they hopethe new police chief will make a priority ofreaching out to students and addressing theirconcerns--possibly to prevent similar futureincidents.

"If the students have a problem, they shouldfeel comfortable addressing it to the department,knowing that the person [in charge of] thedepartment is going to give it due weight," saidBridger E. McGaw '97, who helped organize asoftball game last spring between first-yearstudents and police officers in order to encouragecommunication.

"I hope [the new chief] will take studentcomplaints more seriously," Brown said. "He shouldbe willing to criticize the police force and toadmit that there may be some serious shortcomingsboth [with] the structure of the department andwith individuals."

Clarke said that she hoped the new chief willbe someone who will help to improve communicationand respect between students and police officers.

"In addition to the basics of trying to bethere to protect the student body, it's alsoimportant for the police to demonstrate some levelof basic respect for students," Clarke said.

Rooney agreed that this kind of interactivecommunity policing is essential in a universitypolice department.

"I think that's a cornerstone of [thedepartment]," he said. "It's a team effort,building a bridge between law enforcement and thecommunity it serves."