Data for this article were drawn from the written views of middle managers representing police departments from across the Nation. Respondents were attending the Administrative Officers Course at the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville. During the course of their studies, they read Osborne and Gaebler's (1992) Reinventing Government. They were asked to identify, in a written essay, the three best and worst ideas from that text. The book proposes 10 reforms and 36 strategies that could result in government that is anticipatory, catalytic, community-owned, competitive, customer-driven, decentralized, enterprising, market-oriented, mission-driven, and results-oriented. The middle managers supported the elements of reinvention that reflected the ideals of community policing. They attacked other ideas as inefficient, inequitable, or unethical. Overall, their views reflect cautious support for the changes described in Reinventing Government. The article concludes that police reforms must be carefully considered and balanced against competing interests and the public's notion of social justice. Tables, references