Recognizing that professionalism emphasizes high standards of practice and the provision of quality services, the current study compared information from State Education and Training Standards Commissions to assess police compliance with professional standards. The study questionnaire consisted of 740 items that addressed many aspects of criminal justice, including administrative and legal authority; selection and certification; and basic, inservice, and refresher training requirements. Study findings suggested that, at least in some States, police forces were not in compliance with accepted standards of occupational professionalism. For example, no State required mission statements that defined police roles and responsibilities. No consistency was observed across States in education and training standards for police personnel. Further, many States could control the recertification of police officers based on continuing professional development and training. Mandatory inservice training did not exist in 17 States, and States with mandatory inservice traiing required a range of between 8 and 80 hours of training. Because police departments appeared to be spread along a continuum of professional development that ranged from minimal to high acquisition, it was not possible to arrive at definite conclusions about the status of police professionalism as a whole. 31 references, 1 endnote, and 5 tables