The current organization of police patrol consists of nine constables, six in vehicles and three on foot, typically covering 5 square miles in cities. Officers are seldom confined to a beat over an 8-hour shift, and they do not know which patrol function they will be assigned until they come on the shift. Most patrol activity is in response to calls, and tactical planning and teamwork among patrol officers is rare. Police agency incentives are oriented toward solving crimes and making arrests. Public order functions have low priority among patrol officers, although citizens are most concerned about these visible signs of a breakdown in community order. Police are not regularly communicating with citizens about community problems and how they can help one another in addressing identified problems. Police apparently prefer to maintain an authoritative and aloof role with citizens, interacting with them only when called for a specific incident or when police stop them on the streets under suspicion. If closer cooperation is to develop between police and the community, police must develop the relational skills critical in eliciting cooperation from citizens and be governed by agency incentives for pursuing such cooperation.