More Q's With Captain Evans

A few weeks ago, FM sat down with Boston Police Captain William Evans. Here are a few choice excerpts from an interview that covered everything from the tailgate to armed robbery to a whole lot of public urination.



FM: Do the Harvard-Yale shenanigans keep you up at night?

Capt. Evans: No. They don’t keep me up at night. But honestly I have seen it over the last number of years and I think that it poses a serious public safety issue that unfortunately the students don’t see.

FM: Harvard is a notoriously rowdy campus. How do we compare with our neighboring campuses? Which Boston school parties hardest?

Capt. Evans: Only a small part of the Harvard campus falls on the Allston side. It is only that one game a year that seriously impacts the quality of life in the neighborhood of Allston. When you have a game that is supposed to be a football game and you have 25 students carted off of Ohiri Field for drinking too much alcohol, then I think that becomes a public safety issue for the city to deal with. Plus, public urination in full view of the residents who live nearby and to all of the spectators is not going to be tolerated, and that is what we have witnessed in the past events.



FM: Do any police stereotypes ring true?

Capt. Evans: Clearly a stereotype that I don’t like is that we are bad guys for trying to enforce the crazy behavior surrounding drinking and students. I always go to the orientations and say that we are not anti parties by any means. We know that you are going to have parties but we just need to make sure that they are under control and no one requires medical attention or breaks the law.

FM: What was your sweetest arrest ever?

Capt. Evans: I was out in Brighton and we got three individuals for holding up a McDonald’s with sawed off shotguns. They sawed it off so that they could conceal it, and so that it was more dangerous. They had tied up everyone inside the McDonald’s and we had a lengthy car chase, and we were able to apprehend them.

FM: Harvard students don’t get out of Harvard Square enough. You must know Boston brilliantly. Any hot party spots we should know about?

Capt. Evans: Well, I prefer that you stay over in Cambridge.