When Paul E. Johnson first stepped into his role as chief of the Harvard Police Department 12 years ago, he promised to maintain an "open-door policy" and a commitment to crime prevention.

On January 1, Johnson turned over to successor Francis D. "Bud" Riley a department with modern equipment, better-trained officers, and a department with a general air of professionalism.

University officials and police officers alike credit Johnson with achieving his original goals.

Yet Johnson's legacy in the department will more likely reflect his handling of two key issues which have tainted the HUPD during the last decade: internal strife and accusations of racist actions by Harvard officers.

Johnson's department has been repeatedly criticized by community and College groups for its mistreatment of black students.

In selecting the new chief this fall, University officials said Riley's ability to deal with students, particularly minorities, was an important criterion in his appointment.

In the last three years, the department was also racked by a series of personnel disputes which Johnson was unable to successfully mediate to the satisfaction of all parties.

But not everyone has a negative opinion of Johnson.

Vice President and General Counsel Margaret H. Marshall says she believes Johnson has proven a capable leader and has weathered the storm of controversy.

"He has been a manager who has been prepared to look at those issues, take them seriously, address them," she says. "This is a department where if you look at the outcome--how safe is the environment here--he has been remarkably successful."

Dealing with Race

For undergraduates, Johnson's 12-year tenure at Harvard was largely defined by frequent tensions with police arising from allegations that officers were racist.

Most notable was a 1994 allegation by Inati Ntshanga '95, who was arrested and charged with trespassing while working in the linen depot in the basement of Matthews Hall over winter break in 1992.

Ntshanga charged that the police were looking to arrest him because he had previously made accusations of harassment. He said that officers who knew he was a student racially slurred him, at one point asking him for his welfare card.

Charges against Ntshanga were dropped, but the incident sparked debate on campus among police, student groups and administrators who sought to improve student-police relations.