Working together, the two departments created programs to address communication problems, including having police and probation officers ride together during patrol. Other efforts, such as improving the system of notifying police officers about probation violation warrants issued and having police officers accompany probation officers during curfew compliance checks resulted from the ride-along program. Additionally, these programs have been implemented at little or no cost to the departments or the taxpayers and have enhanced the level of services. This alliance promotes the increasing trend in law enforcement to turn to other groups or organizations to help support efforts to combat crime and violence. With the initial success of existing cooperative programs, the two agencies may establish other joint efforts in the future. To increase communication between agencies, police administrators should consider appointing a police officer to act as liaison between their agency and the local probation department. Another possible cooperative endeavor is to involve probation officers in problem- oriented policing strategies. Probation officers might assist the police in addressing public order offenses by persuading probationers not to become involved in socializing that may lead to public order offenses. Other future cooperative endeavors might include police instructors in safety courses for probation officers, community service endeavors, and the installation of a tipline. 4 notes