He got the job and reported for work in January 1996. As one of his first acts in office, Riley had the bullet-proof glass which stood between HUPD officers and visitors to 29 Garden St. removed. The "Fortress on Garden Street" already had a new human touch.

Riley implemented a slew of new initiatives in the first months of his tenure. Bike patrols were established. An HUPD substation was opened in Weld Hall in the Yard.

Riley convened a student-police advisory board to increase student input in HUPD matters. He announced that two other substations would open. He helped to organize the Safety Walk program, which provided student escorts for late-night travelers.

By October of his first year, Riley had decided on the kernel of his policing philosophy: a team-based approach. Groups of officers permanently assigned to the River Houses, the Quad and the Yard would be responsible for crimes committed in their respective areas.

Hail to the Chief

Last year Taylor sought to evaluate the progress of Riley's efforts, commissioning a study by Kelling, the founding father of the community policing idea.

Kelling, credited by many with spurring the near-miraculous overhaul of the New York City Police Department, had never undertaken a study of such a tiny department and says he knew from the beginning that he would face problems.

He worried that his probe would exacerbate internal tensions. Still, he got to work, interviewing dozens of officers, managers, and University officials.

"Frankly, I was frustrated because I didn't have an opportunity to interview students more directly," Kelling says.

What Kelling found in the course of his three-month investigation mostly vindicated Riley.

Once-routine complaints like racism and aggressive force were virtually non-existent. Crime was down. House masters and University personnel had little but effusive praise for Riley and his efforts.

"It was hard to find critics of the chief and the new policing model outside of the police department," Kelling reported.

HUPD Blue

But Riley's vision did not and still does not sit well with the HUPD rank-and-file, many of whom are holdovers from the pre-Riley era and don't know what their role should be in the new system.

Two groups--young officers who had just been hired and the department's middle managers--told Kelling that Riley's new policing style was farcical and dangerous.