A SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE WAS COMPLETED BY 947 OF THE 1,050 BLACK POLICE OFFICERS. NINETY PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS WERE MALE. THE MAJOR FINDINGS WERE: OFFICERS ARE GENERALLY WELL-EDUCATED, BECAME INTERESTED IN POLICE WORK BY AGE 14, AND JOINED THE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE IN WHICH TO LIVE. ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE PARENTS OR SPOUSES DISAPPROVED OF THE RESPONDENTS' DECISION TO BECOME A POLICE OFFICER; NEARLY EIGHTY-FOUR PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS HELD THE RANK OF PRIVATE; MORE THAN SIXTY-FIVE PERCENT REPORTED THAT THEY TRUSTED FEW OR NO WHITE OFFICERS; MORE THAN EIGHTY PERCENT BELIEVED THAT BLACKS WERE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN HIRING, JOB ASSIGNMENTS, ENFORCEMENT OF RULES AND REGULATIONS, AND JOB PERFORMANCE RATINGS; CITIZENS WERE MORE COOPERATIVE THAN BLACK CITIZENS; 52 PERCENT OF THE BLACK OFFICERS LIVED OUTSIDE OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA; EIGHTY-FOUR PERCENT WERE SATISFIED WITH POLICE WORK; ONLY TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT THOUGHT THEIR CHANCES FOR PROMOTION WERE BETTER THAN AVERAGE; JUST OVER HALF DEFINITELY INTENDED TO MAKE POLICE WORK THEIR CAREER. THE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEMS CONFRONTING THE POLICE PROFESSION WERE LENIENCY OF THE COURTS IN SENTENCING AND THE NEED FOR MORE DEDICATED AND ABLE OFFICERS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)...TWH