Against its historical background of corruption and "rough" policing, the N.S.W. police several years ago instituted a policy of community policing and a department-wide effort to gain the trust and help of the wider community. This effort included the formation of a Media and Marketing Services Branch of the N.S.W. police, the task of which was to develop a professional and a high-profile media department. The media strategies used to market the police were central to the intensification of the problems regarding efficiency and integrity experienced in the Blackburn case, where one of the major elements shaping his arrest and detention was media exposure prior to the laying of charges. The author concludes that, despite the Blackburn fiasco, the N.S.W. community policing venture and its involvement with the mass media will continue with few, or no, reforms. 5 notes and 25 references