Both officers can pick out their number in the midst of the symphony of beeps, call descriptions and secret codes while in the middle of a conversation.

Policing Harvard-style

Since Harvard is not a walled university, the HUPD patrols the same streets as Cambridge city and Massachusetts state police, enabling Harvard cops to get involved in a variety of calls.

Harvard cops are licensed Middlesex county sheriffs and, as such, can legally make arrests anywhere in the county.

"We'll have almost every type of crime you'll see in a normal police department," McCarthy says. "Luckily we don't have a lot of major crime.

Harvard police go through the same training as their counterparts in city and state departments.

After being hired by Harvard, officers must go through an 18 week, full-time police academy run by the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council.

Crowley describes the academy as "quasi-military style."

"It's not a cake walk," he says.

The academy emphasizes academics, physical fitness and fire arms training.

"The department that is assembled here is one of the best-equipped and [most] well-trained that you will find around," Crowley says.

Harvard police salaries are also competitive with those of other departments, he says.

In fact, Crowley says that if he were to work in the his hometown police department in Natick, he would have to take a cut in pay.

Working for Harvard also means that officers get to earn extra money working party details such as the Adams House Masquerade.

Officers work party details in addition to their 40 hour per week obligation to the University. The details are assigned to officers on a rotating basis.