Troubled Police Dept. Taps New Administrator

Stepping into a department that has been plagued by administrative problems, Herbert J. Vallier took over as assistant director for finance and administration for the Harvard police last week.

Vallier replaces Brian D. Sinclair '62, who left the department earlier this year for a position in the Office of Human Resources.

Sinclair was accused by several security guards and some police officers of favoritism in his administration of the department--a charge he has denied.

Vallier appears to have been appointed, police sources said, to bring a fresh perspective to a department that has been plagued by internal bickering, a botched investigation and allegations of racism.

The department's new administrator termed his job a "nice challenge."

"I'm just trying to meet people and get to know the place," he said in a brief interview yesterday.

The job could get tough in the weeks ahead when Vallier begins dealing with controversial union grievances.

Stephen G. McCombe, a former steward in the security guard union, was so incensed with Sinclair's work on grievances that he accused the administrator of engaging in a "pattern of discrimination."

A University-sponsored investigation of McCombe's allegations and similar claims concluded last summer that there had been no descrimination in the department.

Vallier, who came to Harvard from the Groton. School, was known for his friendliness, calm and fairness when he worked as associate director of personnel services for the Faculty three years ago. In that role, Vallier handled sensitive complaints from Professors and staff.

"The job here is the reason I came back,"Vallier said. "And I was looking to come back toHarvard in something."

His name was in the news last fall because ofhis handling of complaints from teachers and staffmembers of the Expository Writing program. Valliersaid at the time that he spoke with at least twoExpos staffers about problems in the program.

The employees praised Vallier's demeanor andhandling of their complaints, though theadministration did not act on the matter

"The job here is the reason I came back,"Vallier said. "And I was looking to come back toHarvard in something."

His name was in the news last fall because ofhis handling of complaints from teachers and staffmembers of the Expository Writing program. Valliersaid at the time that he spoke with at least twoExpos staffers about problems in the program.

The employees praised Vallier's demeanor andhandling of their complaints, though theadministration did not act on the matter