In December 1993, months after the University released a report that found unprofessional behavior in the police's guard unit, the internal embarrassments continued as two guards were charged with stealing water coolers from a Law School room.

The case split the department, with some officers arguing against the guards' conviction while others testified for the prosecution. The guards remained in good standing with the department, although top officials argued for their guilt.

And the two guards, for their part, complained that Johnson took too long--nearly two months--to hold a hearing to address a grievance over their suspension from work during the trial.

During the trial, in which the guards were ultimately acquitted, Harvard officers admitted that the department had submitted false information and that there were numerous irregularities in the department's investigation into the actions of its own employees.

Johnson's Leadership

Members of the department acknowledge that Johnson employed a calm demeanor and leadership style, one based on talking openly with officers and community members when problems arose.

"Although we may have disagreed on issues, he was never underhanded in his dealings," says Officer Robert Kotowski, president of the union. "It never turned into a long, drawn-out banter."

Kotowski characterizes Johnson's leadership as neither militaristic nor laid back, defined most by the "open-door policy" Johnson himself championed upon his arrival at Harvard in 1984.

"He'd try to assist people in any way he could, whether the problem was at work or a family illness," Kotowski said, though he added that only some officers took Johnson up on his offer of an open door.

Lt. Lawrence J. Murphy, who served as acting chief during Johnson's sick leave, said Johnson was successful in resolving internal disputes by dealing directly with the personnel involved.

"Everyone has their own way, his own style, and that was his," Murphy says.

Despite criticism that he was not forceful enough, Johnson was praised by University officials for increasing the professionalism of the department.

"Johnson was one of the leaders on campus security during his period here," Marshall says.

Marshall adds Johnson's efforts to make the department more accessible to the University community and the collaborative relationships he worked out with other law enforcement agencies to the list of his accomplishments.

Besides the sensitivity training instituted under Johnson in response to the accusations of racism, officers were also enrolled in various training programs offered by the Massachusetts Training Council, Murphy says.