The Center was started in 1987 to serve as a central repository of information and source of assistance for State and local law enforcement agencies engaged in policy development. Three years later, the Center has established a foundation of support for its services and publications that clearly reinforces the view that policy-oriented assistance is widely needed and desired by law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. Several common problems in developing a policy manual are listed, including incompleteness, out-of-date information, and ambiguity. The Center's answer to these problems is the establishment and dissemination of "model policies." These are not completely suitable across the board but represent the consensus of the Policy Center Advisory Board and are accompanied with a comprehensive explanatory background paper for the situation addressed. The list of topics for which a "model policy" is available is included as well as how to subscribe to the Center. The Center also provides responses to agencies needing assistance with specific policy-related issues and publishes a quarterly newsletter, Police Review.