Throughout the 1980's and into the 1990's, San Diego County and several of its municipalities are facing demands for services beyond their abilities to generate needed revenues. Public safety services, including police and fire departments, have generally been spared massive budget cuts and have been exempted from hiring freezes. As the budget dilemma worsens, governing bodies are looking more closely at how police and fire services do business. Within San Diego County, nine incorporated cities fund and operate their own police departments. The sheriff provides contracted policing services for the remaining cities and is the law enforcement arm for unincorporated areas. Each of the nine cities and the sheriff operate separate communications centers. There is significant duplication of personnel resources and underutilization of communications staff. Smaller agencies are being left behind as technical advancements in computerization and radio equipment are beyond their financial means. Based on an analysis of existing trends and possible future events, policy recommendations are presented that will facilitate the consolidation of communications centers within the county. The policies also address the need for intercommunication among all local law enforcement agencies. Additional information on the futures study is contained in appendixes. 13 references, 10 tables, and 6 figures