The introductory chapter notes that social work/police partnerships are the next logical step in the development of community policing, since such a partnership meets the mandate to work together for the benefit and survival of the community. The second chapter provides a background overview of social work/police partnerships. It indicates that law enforcement and social work have continually served the same target groups, but with varying success. Currently, there are social work/police partnerships in several North Carolina jurisdictions that follow the crisis intervention paradigm that consists of the three stages of response, stabilization, and prevention. The third chapter profiles five social work/police partnerships that address domestic violence situations; four are in North Carolina jurisdictions, and one is in Memphis, TN. The next chapter presents observations and identifies critical concerns. It notes that the various models described focus on multi-problem households and some first-time callers with severe problems. In such situations, police act to restore order, mediate, separate if needed, stabilize the situation, arrest when warranted, and then leave, typically providing no prevention services. Social workers are involved in the coordinated response, either with the police on initial calls or the next day. They assess the situation, provide emergency service, mediate or facilitate separation when needed, read police reports, conduct background checks, refer to other agencies, and provide interim counseling until referral services begin. They monitor client progress and advocate for clients who need assistance. The fifth chapter outlines steps for communities to follow in assessing the need for social work/police partnerships; and the sixth chapter presents a checklist of effective practices for such partnerships. The concluding chapter outlines the measures that can be used to assess the effectiveness of social worker/police partnerships. 7 references and appended addresses of the model programs described, a consumer questionnaire, a police questionnaire, and a description of database automation