In the U.S., police officers are the only readily identifiable representatives of governmental power; as a result, power is frequently an underlying issue in confrontations that are often thought to be racially motivated. Police basic training often emphasizes order, control, and strict adherence to rules and regulations which needs to be balanced with an understanding of diversity, communication, and interpersonal power. To address the dilemma between using enough force to maintain law and order while avoiding situations in which excessive force is used, this author suggests that officers first need to understand their own culture and then learn to understand the specific cultures they deal with on a daily basis. Cultural training should be job-specific, logical, and to the point. 5 references