THE DATA PRESENTED IN THIS STUDY ARE BASED LARGELY ON STATED IMPRESSIONS OF A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN CONTRACTING. THE REPORT IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR CHAPTERS. CHAPTER I IDENTIFIES AND DESCRIBES THE TYPES OF CONTRACTS WHICH ARE POSSIBLE AND WHICH ARE IN EFFECT. INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES WHICH CAN BE AND ARE DELIVERED UNDER CONTRACT ARE ANALYZED. CHAPTER II IDENTIFIES WHAT SELECTED INTERESTS INVOLVED IN CONTRACT PROGRAMS EXPECT FROM THESE PROGRAMS, WHILE CHAPTER III DESCRIBES TO WHAT EXTENT THESE EXPECTATIONS ARE REALIZED. ISSUES WHICH COULD PROVIDE ANSWERS TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT NEEDS ARE ADDRESSED IN CHAPTER IV. FUTURE INQUIRY IN THE AREA OF CONTRACT LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOULD USE EXISTING INFORMATION AS THE FOUNDATION FOR EXPERIMENTS WITH COMPARABLE COMMUNITIES. SUCH RESEARCH COULD EXAMINE THE DELIVERY OF ALL INDIRECT SERVICES BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES UNDER CONTRACT TO A CORE AGENCY. EXPERIENCES TO DATE INDICATE THAT CONTRACTING SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AN ALTERNATIVE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMPROVED LAW ENFORCEMENT PROGRAMS.