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Student Victims Predominate as Cambridge Police Keep Towing

Police 'Weren't Surprised'

By Robert L. Chazin

Over 80 cars have been towed by Cambridge police in the last ten days of the city's drive against illegal parkers, Police Chief Patrick F. Ready revealed yesterday.

Ready said that the police "weren't surprised to find out that about 75 of the cars belong to Harvard students." He added that the drive would continue with more stringent measures instituted against habitual violators and "scofflaws."

Revoke Licenses

"We intend to revoke the operators' licenses of habitual violators," Ready said. He added that out-of-state drivers could lose their right to drive in Massachusetts even though their license could not usually be revoked.

Several students, Ready stated, were already involved in proceedings at the Registry aimed at revoking their licenses. Ready emphasized that revocation was "a final measure, reserved for those who don't cooperate."

At the same time, Captain of Traffic Edward F. Tierney pointed out that city police were instructed to report to the University all unregistered student cars which they towed in. "Students can charge off their tickets and fines as cheap rent," Tierney said.

Scout for Repeaters

Tierney pointed out that every police officer in the Harvard Square area had been given lists of out of state cars which had been tagged several times. "Our men have instructions to tow them in whenever and wherever they see them," Tierney declared. But he quickly added that the police did not discriminate against students. "It's just that the students seem to violate the parking regulation more than anyone else," he said.

The Harvard police department, meanwhile, has sent out postcards to auto owners requesting them to list their parking lot on the card. This is part of the University's drive to force students to keep their cars off the street at night.

If students fail to return the post card, or to list a parking lot, Dean Delmar Leighton warned that the Administrative Board would "probably" revoke the owner's registration, making him liable to fines, and then would consult with the individual student about his "problem."

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