City Must Tap Laid-Off Officers

The city must hire laid-off officers from other towns to fill 18 vacancies on the Cambridge Police force instead of using its own recruits, the state Division of Personnel Administration (DPA) informed city officials yesterday.

The DPA denied the city's request to use its reserve list instead of hiring from a re-employment list, comprised of laid-off officers from neighboring communities. State law dictates that cities must first hire from the state's re-employment list before hiring from their own reserve lists.

Because Cambridge has not laid off any of its own officers, it has no choice but to hire police from other towns in its region.

City Manager Robert W. Healy, however, said he will meet with Cambridge Police Commissioner Perry L. Anderson today to determine what action to take. He said because of the DPA's decision and because Cambridge faces severe state aid cuts this year, the city may not hire any new recruits this year.

The decision, announced at last night's City Council meeting, ended a controversy in which Anderson threatened to resign to block the hiring of eight recruits with alleged criminal records. Since these recruits are on the reserve list, Cambridge will not be able to hire them this year anyway.

Although Healy denied rumors last night that he and Anderson were "in serious disagreement," Police Spokesperson Gloria A. Pimentel confirmed yesterday that Anderson had threatened to quit.

Healy said that he thought the recruits would have been good officers but that the commissioner did "express strong concern" about the backgrounds of some of the recruits. Healy has the final authority over who to hire.

Healy added that he and Anderson have the same goal, "to hire the most qualified officers for the city of Cambridge." He and Anderson only differed on what criteria to follow in selecting the recruits.

Anderson was not at the meeting yesterday and could not be reached for comment.

Anderson has received widespread support for his stand from members of his police force, city councillors and Mayor Kenneth e. Reeves '72, although it has not been confirmed that the recruits have criminal records.

The 18 recruits from the city's reserve list, a roster of previously approved part-time officers, were approved on the basis of their scores on civil service, physical and mental examinations.

Although several recruits on the reserve list spoke in response to the allegations of having criminal records, the DPA decision switched the focus of the discussion to the more rigid "new standards" that Anderson has vocally backed.

Most councillors expressed support for Anderson position that the city's police force should not hire anyone with a previous criminal record.

"I don't think Anderson did anything extraordinary," Reeves said. "It should be a basic understanding [that we not hire police with criminal records]."

But several recruits, including those without arrest records, urged the council to formulate definite criteria for hiring recruits.

"If [Anderson's] standards apply, it would do a disservice to the police department, to the children of Cambridge and to yourselves," said Reserve Officer Anthony Gallucio, one of the 18 officers who would have been hired.

The council moved to refer the issue of formulating new standards to the Public Advisory Committee.