WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT DATA-PROCESSING SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT IS ANALYZED IN POLITICAL TERMS, THE PROCESS OFTEN IS SHOWN TO BE VERY FRAGMENTED AND INDECISIVE. OFTEN THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROCESS ARE MANY AND VARIED. THE CONFIGURATION OF A PARTICULAR DATA SYSTEM (DEDICATED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT NEEDS, SERVING ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEEDS, COMBINING DEDICATED EQUIPMENT AND SHARED DATA-PROCESSING SUPPORT, ETC.) PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR POLITICAL INFLUENCE WITH REGARD TO THE SYSTEM. ANOTHER USEFUL PERSPECTIVE IS THE ANALYSIS OF RELATIONS WITHIN AND BETWEEN VARIOUS UNITS (E.G., POLITICS WITHIN THE DATA-PROCESSING UNIT, INTERDEPARTMENTAL POLITICS, INTERJURISDICTIONAL POLITICS, INTERGOVERNMENTAL POLITICS). THE CONCEPT OF ETHICS CONCERNS THE ESTABLISHMENT AND UTILIZATION OF NORMS AND STANDARDS FOR BEHAVIOR. THE SOURCE OF ETHICS (A SINGLE GROUP, AND ORGANIZATIONAL IDEOLOGY OR PHILOSOPHY, A PROFESSION, SOCIETY) IS IMPORTANT IN ANALYZING THEIR CONTENT AND APPLICABILITY TO A GIVEN ACTIVITY, SUCH AS LAW ENFORCEMENT DATA PROCESSING. IN ADDITION TO THE SOURCE OF ETHICS, OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS CONCERN THE PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING ETHICS; THE OVERLAP BETWEEN ETHICAL NORMS AND LEGAL STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS; ENFORCEMENT; AND IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIFIC STANDARDS, NORMS AND ETHICS OF A GIVEN GROUP IN LAW ENFORCEMENT DATA PROCESSING, THE PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS OF DATA-PROCESSING PERSONNEL PROBABLY WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE MAJOR 'CODES OF ETHICS,' WHILE LEGISLATIVE BODIES WILL SEEK TO ESTABLISH LEGAL NORMS. THE MAJOR CONCLUSIONS REACHED BY STUDIES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT DATA-PROCESING POLITICS AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFLUENCES IN SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT ARE CITED. PERTINENT CODES OF ETHICS ARE APPENDED. (LKM)