A common view is that affirmative action and quotas lower standards in law enforcement. However, the oversight being exercised by the Federal judiciary has served as a catalyst to develop personnel procedures that are more closely related to the police occupation than were the previous selection methods that operated to exclude minorities and women. Judicial decisions have held that police departments must now prove that a selection procedure can be scientifically linked to job performance or must restructure the selection process in a manner that does not discriminate against qualified minorities. They also provide a basis on which to develop a valid exam for police recruits. Police agencies must also use care in scoring these exams and use alternatives to rank ordering in their hiring and promotional procedures. Most police chiefs will also need to consult personnel and legal experts for guidance on these issues. 32 references.