Data were obtained from self-administered questionnaires administered to a sample (n=88) of sheriff's deputies who worked in one of four regional divisions of a large, decentralized, urban sheriff's office that served the unincorporated areas of Hillsborough County, Fla. (Tampa). Deputies work orientations were measured by five multi-item additive scales, which focused on work orientations toward crime control; service activities; support for traditional, hierarchical lines of communication and authority; belief that people in general are prone to be dishonest and untrustworthy and are disrespectful of the police; and belief that changes in their work activities have been necessary, useful, effective, efficient, etc. Responses on these five additive scales were the primary independent variables in this analysis. The study examined the degree to which various officer work orientations correlate with their perceptions of their own and the district's readiness for community-based policing and the problems, benefits, and overall effectiveness they anticipate from the community policing initiative. 3 tables, 33 references, and appended questionnaire