The Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) recently elected a new president and vice president of its union.

Laureen A. Donahue was elected president after the previous president, Wilmon Chapman, was promoted to sergeant, making him no longer eligible to be a member of the patrolmen's union.

Chris Ahern was elected vice president after Jim Pignone was also promoted to sergeant. Treasurer Kevin Harrington and secretary Julie Bates retained their positions.

The union, which is affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, has over 50 members from HUPD.

With the current contract not due to expire for another year, the union has been able to turn its attention to other matters, including the hiring of six new officers, Thomas Flannery, Jason Flaherty, Gregory Foley, Daniel R. Staffieri, Josiah Christian and Dominic Sardo.

"We are just trying to get our new guys acclimated and into the department," Donahue said.

Some of the first exposure those new officers received was working at the March 12 Progressive Student Labor Movement protest.

"It was a learning tool," Donohue explained. "The union will always agree with people's right to free speech, and this was a chance to show [the new officers] how the University operates and how the department works."

--Staff writer Joseph P. Flood can be reached at flood@fas.harvard.edu.