Modern technology changed the police role from that of peacekeepers in their own community to that of aloof crime fighters. In addition, funding restrictions and day-to-day crime problems have relegated police more and more to focusing on street crime in minority neighborhoods. However, focusing on crimes that have already been committed has proven to be ineffective in reducing crime. Future police officers will need the freedom and autonomy to expand the traditional job. They will accomplish this by balancing reactive efforts with proactive initiatives aimed at reducing and controlling contemporary crime and drug problems. These community officers will discover that they must become community problem solvers. Community policing encourages officers to use their free patrol time creatively and to help neighborhoods to help themselves. Resistance to community policing can be alleviated by communicating effectively with people inside and outside the police agency. With these efforts, communities can become crime and drug resistant as community-based problemsolving efforts become established. Footnotes and figure