It is naive and potentially self-defeating to deny categorically that any conflict exists between police independence and police accountability to the public. From its beginning in Great Britain, the public police force was viewed by citizens as a potential source of arbitrary state power that could infringe on citizens' rights. This fear has been countered by ensuring that police abide by laws designed to protect citizens' rights. Within legal parameters, however, police have discretion to enforce the law within specific circumstances. The police use of discretion within the parameters of a thorough knowledge of and compliance with the law provides sufficient independence for the police to develop a professionalism based upon highly skilled law enforcement. An independence without accountability may lead to a devaluation of police contributions to society and thus to an undermining of police professionalism. 22 footnotes, 200 references.