BUD RILEY'S FIRST TERM

Former Harvard Police Chief Paul E.Johnson, who led the department from 1984 until he retired last December, was known for his "opendoor" style of management.

But over the past five months, new Chief Francis D. "Bud" Riley has done as much to improve relations with students as Johnson did in his entire 12 years, many say.

Students and administrators praise Riley's dedication to communication, citing his frequent meetings with student leaders, his attendance at College meetings on security and his tentative agreement to create a student advisory board.

As he reaches out to the students, however, Riley is also preparing to launch a major internal reorganization this fall, one which, sources say, members of the security guard unit and the department's senior sergeants and lieutenants might resist.

Riley, formerly a lieutenant colonel and commander of the Division of Investigations and Intelligence in the Massachusetts State Police, was named police chief last November after a 10-month search.

University Vice President and General Counsel Margaret H. Marshall, who led the search, says Riley's first term has been a success.

"The attributes we were looking for were first, professional excellence and quality credentials; second, somebody who could lead the department into the next century; and third, somebody who had superior judgment," Marshall says. "On all three levels, Chief Riley has done extraordinarily well."

"He genuinely enjoys being a part of this community," she says. "I have seen the enthusiasm with which he talks to students...and that's not just a face he puts on."

Riley says he is continuing to learn his way around--he is still working through a list of 80 people he wants to meet with--and says he is grateful to the community for the welcome he has received.

"I was struck by the warmth of my greetings here," he says. "My reception by members of the different student groups has been very heartening to me."

Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III says Riley's first few months have been impressive.

"This Bud's for us," he says.

No Public Scandals

Riley's department has thus far been spared from scandal.

Gone are the public complaints of racism against HUPD officers, which plagued the force under Johnson.

Epps says he has talked with Riley about past accusations of racism against the department.

"[Riley] has expressed a clear set of expectations on this issue to the force," Epps says. "I think he's made a difference and led to a reduction in those complaints."

"[Racial tension] was one of our major problems, and I am really just delighted with this outcome," Epps adds.

Riley says several students have privately approached him this year with complaints of racism, and he has dealt with the students' concerns.

He says he wants to make officers more sensitive to student concerns, and he says he is planning a program this fall in which students and officers will educate each other on issues of campus safety.

A Bite Out of Crime

In the absence of scandal, public attention this semester has focused on crime prevention, particularly in the Yard.

Police and College officials were prompted to take action by a string of break-ins in Matthews Hall, in which a bicycle, jewelry and several wallets were allegedly stolen.

Riley responded to the incidents by increasing overnight patrols in the Yard, instructing officers to walk through Matthews and locking several gates allowing entrance into the Yard at night.

In March, Riley implemented a plan that Johnson had been considering: opening a police substation in the basement of Weld Hall, staffed 24 hours a day, to enable students to have more direct contact with officers.

Dean of Freshmen Elizabeth Studley Nathans says Riley has done a great job trying to reduce Yard crime.

"If students didn't always recognize the careful planning that went into increased security in the Yard, those we heard from were clearly grateful for the quick police response," Nathans wrote in an e-mail message.

Although statistics are not yet available, Nathans says she credits Riley with decreasing the number of burglaries in the Yard.

The Yard has been the site of his most visible attempts at crime prevention, but Riley says he has also worked to boost the safety of all the houses.

Riley says he has increased police presence around the river, especially in the Weeks Footbridge area, by reassigning officers to the overnight shifts and adding patrols to the streets most heavily trafficked by students walking to and from residence halls.

Reaching Out to Students

In his darkest hour, the new chief shone. Riley received acclaim for his quick and innovative response to an alleged attempted rape outside Adams House in March.

Riley went high-tech, posting a policy advisory with a description of the subject over Harvard's Internet server.

In the wake of the alleged attack, Riley sought to reform HUPD's emergency telephone system.

After receiving complaints that students calling to report the incident received busy signals, Riley reorganized the system so callers reporting an emergency would not have to wait to speak with an officer.

Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 says Riley has worked hard to improve communication with students.

"I have personally heard from two students who were victims of unhappy events on campus who told me how much they admired and appreciated the way the HUPD, and Chief Riley in particular, had followed up," Lewis wrote in an e-mail message.

Riley says he has discussed emergency phones, lighting and other safety issues with student representatives at meetings of Epps' Security Committee.

The committee has set an agenda for next year, which includes improved student safety orientation programs and the distribution of a "security map" showing the location of emergency phones, Epps said.

With Riley's support, the Undergraduate Council subsidized the $20 fee for the Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) program this year so students could participate for free.

When more students signed up for the program than spaces were available, Riley arranged to train three more officers to teach the program.

Alicia M. Moretti '96, a coordinator of the Harvard Alliance for Safety Training and Education, formed this year, says Riley has been a strong supporter of the RAD program.

Moretti praises the chief for trying to put more police officers on foot and bicycle patrols of campus.

Marco B. Simons '97, director of Safetywalk, says students are working with police to form an advisory board to improve relations between the groups.

"If students don't trust the police department, then the police can't do their job," Simons says.

Undergraduate Council President Robert M. Hyman '98-'97 says Riley has also increased communication with students by occasionally speaking at council meetings this semester.

Riley is also encouraging officers to eat meals in house dining halls, where they pay a reduced price.

Police and Security Guards

While the chief is admired by students, his attempts to implement community policing by reorganizing the department may encounter opposition.

Riley's plan is to integrate the security guard unit, which is under his jurisdiction, with the police force.

Several officers will be assigned to a geographic region of campus, where they will work in teams with security guards stationed at their usual posts.

Riley declined to comment on further specifics of the plan, saying only that budget issues must be negotiated and that a private security consultant has been hired to assist in the transition.

The consultant, Henry J. Doherty, worked with Riley in the Massachusetts State Police while Doherty was there from 1971 to 1994.

Herbert J. Vallier, HUPD's associate director for finance and administration, says the integration will "provide a more consolidated and concise service" by enabling the police to become more involved in crime prevention.

When police spend less time in the office and more on the streets, they can deter criminals simply by their presence, Vallier says.

"The concept is to get us into the community and out of the confines of the department," Vallier says. Guards tend to know who is around the house, and the officers tend to be around the perimeter.... Chances are the students and tutors really don't know their police officers."

He says officers have the power of arrest and are better trained to deal with crime prevention than security guards.

If the plan is implemented, guards may be asked to report to police officers in the district, Vallier adds, rather than to supervisors at the department headquarters at 29 Garden St.

"We've had a difficult time with guard supervisory activity," Vallier says. "That supervision really should come closer to the areas where the guards are functioning."

Riley says the police officers have thus far seemed receptive to the community-based approach.

"I haven't heard any negative comments," Riley says.

But Riley admits the current situation is "still tense." And according to Vallier, the plan has met with controversy within the police force, especially among senior sergeants and lieutenants.

Vallier attributes the hostility to an general resistance to change.

"It's a real change if you've been policing by police car and all of a sudden you have to get out and talk with folks in a different way," Vallier says.

However, HUPD Lt. Lawrence J. Murphy, who has served in the department for 32 years, describes the integration plan as a "retooling" of what the officers are accustomed to, and says he expects no resistance from within the force.

We'II have a personal relationship with students and faculty that will go both ways," Murphy says.

Murphy adds that there have been no visible tensions between guards and officers since Riley took over in January.

But Vallier says Riley will "definitely have some opposition" from the guards, most likely involving contractual issues, although Vallier says the guards agree with the concept of integration.

"The guards have told me that they needed that integration since they were being isolated," he says.

The plan will not result in cuts in the number of guards or in their hours, Vallier says.

Looking Ahead

These relations between guards and police have already improved under Riley, according to Superintendent for Security Services Calvin J. Kantor.

"Things are going pretty well," Kantor says, citing Riley's ability to make the guards feel valuable.

Riley has begun to give the guards the recognition they lacked before his arrival, Kantor says, by sending them letters of commendation for outstanding service rendered and by talking informally with guards on duty.

Kantor also says he supports Riley's plan to integrate the police and guard units into community-based teams, although he says he cannot predict how the plan will be enacted or whether it will meet with opposition.

"The chief has a lot of good, innovative ideas," Kantor says. "I think the safety of the Harvard community will be better served by putting police and guards together in teams."

Murphy says Riley's open attitude, long hours and popular changes have translated into a renewed excitement among police officers as well.

"He's very open, out talking to officers throughout the station all day long," Murphy says. "He's very active and involved."

Riley concedes that he will face challenges in the months ahead. But says the job keeps him "young and moving."

Despite recent improvements in crime prevention and a major plan to strengthen community policing, Riley says there are still many creative ideas to be pursued.

"In comparison to other schools, we're in good shape," Riley says. "But safety isn't an issue where you can ever feel comfortable with your efforts."

--Laura C. Semerjian and Jal D. Mehta contributed to the reporting of this story.