Fifty-five female police trainees participated in a survey at the end of their basic police training. It was hypothesized that their beliefs about police and police work were the result of their experience during training, their level of cynicism, support, and encouragement from relatives and friends, as well as their femininity, self-esteem and doubt about people’s trustworthiness. The study confirmed the majority of the hypotheses. Results were compared with results from a sample of 22 male police trainees. The comparison revealed different dynamics of male and female beliefs about police and police work, as well as some differences in reasons for joining the police. While femininity, quality of training experience, and cynicism regarding public opinion of the police were the dominant influences upon female trainees’ beliefs, male trainees were influenced more by their cynicism toward decision makers and toward the legal system. The article discusses the results in terms of their practical value for police recruitment and training. Tables, figures, references