HUPD Needs More Than an Ombudsman


Harvard police need more than an ombudsman. HUPD (like real police departments) is used for political and personal purposes contrary to law. But (unlike real police departments) Harvard has enough clout at the state house and in state courts that they avoid accountability for violations of state and US laws. [Cambridge police have special access to the MA Attorney General whose husband is a supervising Cambridge police officer.] HUPD is not required to answer Public Records requests. They arrest people as favors to faculty and staff. Campus cops in MA have a free pass to abuse their police powers. According to this article the report did not study abuses of HUPD toward non Harvard affiliates and the abuses of their police powers outside of the campus. Calls to Cambridge police dispatchers (who are not police officers) are diverted to HUPD creating danger for persons who report abuses of city ordinances which HUPD is not empowered to enforce. City police and Harvard police have an unofficial work agreement to permit HUPD to patrol "near" campus. These abuses and unlawful policies continue as a special privilege to the University by the City Manager.

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=527928

Report On HUPD Released
Safety committee gives four primary recommendations; HUPD reacts positively
Published On Monday, April 27, 2009 2:20 AM
By EMILY J. HOGAN and MARIANNA N TISHCHENKO
Harvard Crimson Staff Writers