Merge the Police

Radcliffe recently announced an increase in its police force; the 'Cliffe hired several new watchmen, and referred others from inside to outside duty. The college is also considering the purchase of radios to put foot patrolman in constant communication with the Harvard switchboard.

But since the Harvard police and Radcliffe police are entirely separate organizations, these new provisions had to be worked out separately from very similar steps which the Harvard police are presently considering. University officials say that there is co-operation between the two forces, but admit that the administration, command, and records for the two groups are distinct. They contend that the existence of two corporations--Harvard and Radcliffe--precludes any closer police co-operation.

Yet the University long ago found it efficient to merge separate Business School and Med School police forces into one University-wide organization. Radcliffe policemen to not share in the newly established training programs of the Harvard police and, under the present system, will continue to be excluded from the imaginative programs which Chief Tonis hopes to implement at Harvard in the next few years. The Radcliffe police do not own a prowl car, and presently do not have the use of the Harvard cruiser. Unnecessary bureaucratic duplication is another argument for combining the two forces.

The University ought to be concerned enough to overcome the legal difficulties involved. The recent combination of the telephone switchboards provides evidence that mergers of some operations of the two corporations are possible. The work needed to solve the legal problems would be a small price to pay for greater efficiency in police operations and for greater security for both colleges.