At their feet is a giant ring weighted down by about 300 keys to campus buildings. The visitor is separated from the officers by a plexiglass window and metal bars, and is flanked on both sides by doors that cannot be opened from the inside.

"It's actually pretty easy to operate," says Kotowski of the imposing vehicle. "But don't tell anybody else that."

Kordis, a newcomer to the HUPD, is one of 10 officers hired by the department earlier this month. Previously, he worked at a law firm, a background he says he has found valuable in learning about questions of law and ethics in police work.

As he nears the end of his first month cruising the campus and surrounding areas, Kordis says he has come to realize that the job of a police officer can often be far from glamorous and social.

"It's tough...It's all business," he says, noting, "We even eat lunch alone because everone's on a different schedule."

When an officer is out on patrol, Kordis says, he or she is only likely to see a fellow officer if called in four backup. "You are not out there to socialize. You are mainly thinking of safety," he says.

Kotowski, who is married, says the job's demanding schedule has definitely affected his personal life.

"Every cop would say [to a spouse], `How about in three weeks we can go out on a Friday night?'" Kotowski says. "It doesn't make your better half very happy, but you still have bills to pay," he adds.

Kordis, who is unmarried, says he is "adjusting" to 4-12 p.m. shifts and 8 a.m. court sessions but that they are certainly "a downer" on his social life.

A little help from modern technology has enabled him to maintain his night life as much as possible. Kordis says he now carries a beeper so that he can arrange where to meet his brother and friends at the end of a shift.

In addition to the challenging schedule, Kordis also faced the difficult task of familiarizing himself with all the streets and buildings of a large university.

"It's pretty tough to get all of the buildings down," Kordis says. "But if you get a call there, you'll definitely learn the building."

The process of learning how to navigate the campus is similar for police rookies and for first-year students, Kotowski points out. "Except this time, there is a time factor," he says. "Sometimes, amidst the stress, you just draw a blank."

A good sense of humor seems to be essential for officers to remain enthusiastic about their work.

During the drive, Kotowski pulled up in front of the Cambridge fire station to chat for a while with a guard.