Council Moves Against Crime, Suggest Police Chiefs Meet

The recent increase in violent crime in Cambridge and around Harvard was the main topic of discussion at the City Council meeting last night.

The council requested that City Manager John H. Corcoran meet immediately with Chief James F. Reagan of the Cambridge police, Chief Robert Tonis of the Harvard police and Chief James Olivieri of the MIT campus patrol to discuss measures to counteract the upsurge in crime.

The City Council passed several other anti-crime measures including:

*A request that the city manager post $1000 reward for "information leading to the arrest and conviction" of the person who caused the death of Ethel Higonnet. Councillor Alfred E. Vellucci amended the proposal to include any or all murders or assaults in Cambridge.

*A request that the city manager establish a central committee "for viewing, reporting and improving" areas of the city that might be safer with physical changes.

*A request that the city manager improve the lighting and landscaping of Longfellow Park, where Ethel Higonnet was murdered, to allow a better view from both streets around the park.

*A request that the city manager create a city-owned vehicle pool with all radio equipped automobiles, to be placed at the disposal of the Cambridge chief of police.

But an amendment to the Cambridge city ordinances that would place a minimum on the number of policemen on patrol met with the exercise of Councillor Robert Moncreiff's charter right. The move will delay any adoption of the amendment until next week's council meeting, where it will be reconsidered.

Vellucci supported the amendment and reminded the council that he had called for the city to borrow $1 million last year to put 100 or more patrolmen on the street.

"They don't want to spend the money to hire the policemen to protect the citizens of Cambridge," Vellucci said.

Moncreiff said he exercised his charter right with a "good deal of emotion and pain," but nevertheless wanted the issue approached with sense.