THE PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO INCREASE THE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND IDEAS AMONG THE PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS THROUGH AN EXCHANGE OF PERSONNEL. EACH DEPARTMENT SELECTED AT LEAST ONE POLICE OFFICER, TYPICALLY A SERGEANT, TO TRANSFER TO ONE OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS FOR SIX MONTHS AND SERVE AS A STAFF ASSISTANT TO THAT DEPARTMENT'S POLICE CHIEF. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE EXCHANGE, THE PROGRAM HAD ACHIEVED SOME SIGNIFICANT RESULTS. AT MINIMAL COST, IT WAS AN EXCELLENT MEANS OF EFFECTING INFORMATION EXCHANGE, ENCOURAGING INNOVATION AND COOPERATION, AND IMPROVING THE MANAGEMENT SKILLS OF THE EXCHANGE OFFICERS. THE RELATIVE SIMPLICITY, LOW COST, AND POTENTIAL HIGH YIELD MAKE A PERSONNEL EXCHANGE PROGRAM AS ATTRACTIVE UNDERTAKING FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS. IN SUMMARIZING THE EXPERIENCES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BAY AREA PROGRAM, THIS BOOKLET POSES AND ANSWERS 22 RHETORICAL QUESTIONS MOST OF WHICH WOULD APPLY TO THE ESTABLISHMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SIMILAR PROGRAMS. THESE QUESTIONS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: HOW LONG SHOULD THE EXCHANGE PERIOD LAST? WHAT RANK OF OFFICERS SHOULD BE EXCHANGED? WHO SHOULD SELECT THE OFFICERS TO BE EXCHANGED? WHERE SHOULD THE EXCHANGED OFFICERS BE ASSIGNED IN THE HOST AGENCIES? WHAT RESPONSIBILITIES SHOULD EACH OFFICER HAVE DURING THE EXCHANGE? WHICH DEPARTMENT-HOME OR HOST-SHOULD PAY THE OFFICER DURING THE EXCHANGE? WHICH DEPARTMENT WOULD BE LIABLE FOR INJURIES OR ILLNESSES INCURRED BY AN EXCHANGED OFFICER? SHOULD THE LARGE DEPARTMENTS EXCHANGE ONLY WITH EACH OTHER OR WITH THE SMALLER AGENCIES AS WELL? THE SIX POLICE DEPARTMENTS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE EXCHANGE WERE FREMONT, HAYWARD, MENLO PARK, OAKLAND, PALO ALTO, AND SAN JOSE. ((SNI ABSTRACT)