The author systematically examines modern police organizations in terms of prominent organizational values, executive leadership, and external influences. In particular, he discusses empirical data on contemporary police agencies that are relevant for identifying both inhibitors and facilitators of organizational change. His survey results strongly suggest that the core mission of police organizations in the United States has not changed significantly over the past 50 years and that community-oriented policing represents a direct response to the external environment. Organizational change is viewed as a traumatic and unsettling process, with many police organizations preferring to pursue technical rationality versus organizational rationality. Complexities inherent in the slow process of police organizational change are discussed. Appendixes contain supplemental data from the police organization surveys. 221 references and 33 tables