THE AUTHORS ASSERT THAT POLICE BEHAVIOR MUST BE EXPLAINED IN TERMS OF THE RULES THAT ORDER THEIR RELATIONS WITH CIVILIANS AND WHICH ARE USUALLY MUTUALLY ACKNOWLEDGED. AMONG THESE RULES IS THAT IN A TYPICAL ENCOUNTER, RELATIONS ARE GOVERNED BY AN ASYMMETRICAL STATUS NORM WHEN DEFERENCE EXCHANGE IS INVOLVED. THIS NORM EFFECTS VARIOUS STATUSES IN DIFFERENT WAYS. DATA FROM AN EXTENSIVE STUDY OF POLICE-CIVILIAN ENCOUNTERS IN WHICH THE PROCESS OF INTERACTION WAS CODED USING A SPECIAL INTERACTION PROCESS ANALYSIS CATEGORY SYSTEM ARE USED TO TEST HYPOTHESES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)