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Adams House Student Catches Thief in the Act

HUPD responds quickly but fails to call Master, tutors

Adams House Master Robert J. Kiely also praisedHUPD for its quick response, successfulapprehension of the suspects and retrieval of Wu'sstolen television.

"The police did a great job and we're gratefulfor that," he said.

Kiely expressed some concern, however, aboutHUPD's failure to notify him and other housetutors of the crime. He said he did not learn ofthe incident until the next day--and even then, hewas informed by a house tutor.

Leo Trasande '94, a resident tutor living inAdams' A entry, agreed with Kiely and said he wasconcerned that he was not made aware of theincident earlier.

"I was extremely upset that I wasn't notified,"Trasande said. "That's a courtesy that the HUPDshould notify people about [the crime], even inthis acute setting. This and the Kirkland eventbespeak the problem in communication aboutsecurity issues in the Harvard houses."

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But Wrinn said that official protocol does notrequire HUPD to directly notify house masters incases like this.

"It is not regular procedure for HUPD to informHouse masters specifically," Wrinn said.

Wrinn said because a tutor was present at thecrime scene, HUPD made an assumption thatcommunication with the House about the incidentwould be through the tutor.

Diana R. Graham '93, the resident tutor for Bentry, said she saw flashing lights from herwindow and went down to see what was happening.

Wrinn acknowledged confusion about who wassupposed to notify whom, but emphasized thatHUPD's failure to notify Kiely was not donemaliciously.

"It would be a mistake to assume that it wasanything intentional or sinister," he said. "Thepolice always follow up with an officialnotification by faxing the House office. To thebest of my knowledge, that [information] was faxedto the House office."

Crime-Prone Area?

The incident in Adams comes only amonth-and-a-half after the mugging of a Harvardjunior in front of St. Paul's Roman CatholicChurch, located across from Adams' A and Bentries.

Trasande said the location of those specificentries makes them more vulnerable than otherAdams entrances, and may merit an increasedsecurity presence.

"The corner of Bow and Arrow Streets isrelatively unguarded because it is on the edge ofHarvard Square," he said. "It is a target [forcrime]."

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