When Harvard University Police officers broke up an Adams House party last week, Black students said they were angered--but not very surprised by the police presence, which some called "excessive."

But police sources later defended their actions, pointing out that they retrieved mace, knives and a handgun from concert-goers.

The agitation over the incident points to tensions between police officers and students, which have become increasingly visible over the last decade.

Some students have criticized Police Chief Paul E. Johnson's handling of this and other racially-tinged incidents during his 12-year tenure. They say that Johnson and the rest of the administration have turned a deaf ear to the concerns of students who have experienced alleged harassment from HUPD officers.

"Whenever problems arose, [Johnson] seemed to bring them on the student rather than look for answers in the department," said David W. Brown '97, historian for the BlackStudents Association (BSA).

But the police chief has disagreed with thesecharges, saying his own racial identity preventshim from allowing racist sentiments on the policeforce.

"How could I as a Black man tolerate a racistsupervisor?" Johnson asked in an interview of May1992, during an investigation into charges ofracial harassment on the security guard unit.

Johnson was on vacation this week andunavailable for comment.

Police officers praise the chief's loyalty tohis officers and maintain that he handled theincidents properly.

"I think [Johnson has] been very receptive,"Harvard Police Lt. John F. Rooney said.

"He tries to deal with [students' concerns]effectively and objectively...He's done his utmostto address them, to do whatever the incident mayhave warranted," Rooney added.

Whatever the tone of the outgoing chief'stenure, University officials say the choice of anew police chief is a matter for carefulconsideration.

Johnson, who is 65, officially declared hisintention to retire from his post as early as Mayof this year, Vice President and General CounselMargaret H. Marshall said in an interview earlierthis month. An advisory group of faculty membersand police administrators has been set up toadvise her in choosing a successor.

Currently there are no students on Marshall'sadvisory group. But she said Monday that themembership list is not yet final.

"Students will be consulted in the process,"she said, but she would not comment further on thegroup's activities.

BSA President Kristen L. Clarke '97 said thatstudent representation on Marshall's committeewould be very helpful in ensuring that the rightcandidate is chosen for the campus.

"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."

D. Joseph Griffin, the director of publicsafety at Northeastern University, said he agreedwith Rooney's assessment.

"I think any police department should be partof the community as opposed from apart from it--beit a college university or a municipality,"Griffin said. "Any organization should clearlyunderstand what their community is feeling aboutthem."

Leadership Qualities

Students, administrators and officers agreedthat the new chief should be an energetic andinspiring department leader.

McGaw said he hoped the new chief would besomeone with experience, knowledge, leadership anda professional mentality--someone other officerscould "follow and look up to."

"The department needs to be led by its chief aswell as be administered," McGaw said.

Epps said in an interview Monday that he islooking for candidates who have high ethicalstandards, who are capable of expressingthemselves and who can convince others of theirvision.

And according to Rooney, the HUPD would be bestserviced by a "modern, proactive, dynamic andintelligent professional"--one who has acommitment to community policing as well as afoundation of solid leadership in the force.

None of the officers or administratorsinterviewed listed race or gender as a criterionfor hiring the new chief.

"When you get to the level of top appointments,[you must maintain] strict adherence to specificcriteria," Epps said. "We must ensure that the[applicant] pool is diverse and able."

Epps said he does not support minority hiringor an affirmative action policy in the Universityas a whole.

"The presence of people of color in aninstitution is to give a signal to people of colorthat it is an okay institution, [that] it is notkeeping people out because of their race," hesaid.

Students said this week that the new leadershould not be judged on ethnicity or gender but onability to work competently in the position and todeal sensitively with the student body.

"I think anybody could do a good job regardlessof racial background and gender," Brown said."Personally I do like to see a minority or a womanget a high post, because just traditionally, youhaven't seen a lot of that in society as a whole.It sets a good example."

Inside, Outside?

Whether the new chief will come from inside oroutside of the department is undecided. Rooneysaid each has its advantages and disadvantages; anin-house candidate may understand theadministration and community better, while anoutside candidate can offer an unprejudicedperspective and a "new approach."

Epps, a member of the advisory group, said onMonday that he would be willing to appoint someone"quite unorthodox...in the sense of policebureaucracy."

"I stress above all [finding] someone who isvery accessible to students and who likes workingwith them and can think of new ways to involvethem in the department," Epps said.

Brown said he would like to see a new chief whois a "real change from the status quo."

"I'd like to see somebody from the outside comein, to reform the department a bit," he said.

On the other hand, Rooney stressed thatexperience in the department would beadvantageous.

"I think personally you really need a realprofessional law enforcement officer," Rooneysaid. "You need a strong professional whounderstands operations, who interacts on a regularbasis with the community [the department] serves."

A Problem Solver

Whoever is chosen, tensions between policeofficers and Black students still need to beresolved, students said.

"That's definitely a part of the job of apolice chief [to look at both perspectives],"Brown said, "Not only to function very well insidethe police department, but also to convincestudents who have less faith in the department...especially when race relations are still a bigpart of the interactions between students andpolice."

But Griffin said that both students and policeofficers will have to communicate in order toimprove relations.

"Both sides need to come together andunderstand what they're doing. Students clearlyneed to say what type of services they want," hesaid.

McGaw said he has seen from personal experiencethat officers are willing to reach out tostudents. He said that he felt the student-policesoftball game he organized was an encouraging stepthat showed some of the goodwill among officers.

"I hope students will see that the departmentis making the outreach," he said. "It's not theanswer; it's just the beginning."

McGaw said he hoped the new chief would besomeone with the ability to foster that goodwill.

"The officers on the department are a finegroup," McGaw said. "The police deserve to have acop's cop leading them. The students and the copsdeserve the best...We should seek no substitute."Crimson File PhotoHarvard Police Chief PAUL E. JOHNSON speakswith Lt. LAWRENCE J. MURPHY outside SandersTheatre.