QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT TO 7229 HOUSEHOLDS RANDOMLY SELECTED IN CHESAPEAKE, NORFOLK, PORTSMOUTH, AND VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA, DURING NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER OF 1973 AND JANUARY OF 1974. COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES WERE RECEIVED FROM 3334 OR 46.12 PERCENT. SINCE THOSE WHO RETURNED THE QUESTIONNAIRES WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE OLDER, WHITE, AND BETTER EDUCATED, CORRECTIONS FOR THESE FACTORS WERE INCORPORATED INTO THE ANALYSIS. FINDINGS WERE: (1) ALTHOUGH THE POLICE MAY FEEL THE CITIZENS OF A COMMUNITY ARE HOSTILE, 68 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS FELT THE POLICE WERE DOING AN ACCEPTABLE OR EXTREMELY GOOD JOB; (2) LEVEL OF SUPPORT IS NOT AFFECTED BY PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CRIME PROBLEM, BUT POSSIBLE VICTIMIZATION IS A MAJOR CONCERN: 66 PERCENT INDICATED THEY HAVE BECOME MORE FEARFUL OF CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION; (3) AS HAS BEEN FOUND IN OTHER STUDIES, VICTIMIZATION IS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH PERCEPTIONS OF CRIME, FEAR OF VICTIMIZATION, OR EVALUATION OF POLICE PERFORMANCE; (4) BLACKS AND YOUNGER PEOPLE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE UNFAVORABLE IN THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE AND FEMALES WERE SLIGHTLY MORE UNFAVORABLE THAN MALES; THOSE WHO WERE LESS AFFLUENT AND LIVED IN INNER-CITY AREA WERE LESS FAVORABLE THAN THOSE LIVING IN SUBURBAN AREAS. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT POLICE-COMMUNNITY RELATION EFFORTS BE TARGETED TOWARD AREAS WHICH HAVE HIGHLY UNFAVORABLE IMAGES AND ALSO THAT THE POLICE THEMSELVES TRY TO BECOME LESS DEFENSIVE IN THEIR DEALINGS WITH THE PUBLIC. IF THE POLICE HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD THEMSELVES, THIS MIGHT HAVE A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON CHANGING EXISTING PERCEPTIONS HELD BY SOME SEGMENTS OF THE PUBLIC.