AS OF THE TIME OF WRITING, MOST POLICE CONSOLIDATION PLANS HAVE INVOLVED SUBURBAN AREAS UNITING EITHER WITH A CENTRAL CITY OR WITH ADJACENT SUBURBS. MOST POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE FEWER THAN 10 PERSONS, SERVE SMALL AREAS, AND INCLUDE THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF WITH ITS PLETHORA OF NONPOLICE DUTIES. FOLLOWING A LITERATURE REVIEW AND DETAILS OF THE METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY, THE VARIOUS UNIFICATION AND CONSOLIDATION MODELS ARE DESCRIBED. THESE INCLUDE TOTAL UNIFICATION OF TWO OR MORE DEPARTMENTS, A TOTAL FUNCTIONAL MERGER, SUPPORT SERVICES CONSOLIDATION, CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, AND INTERAGENCY COOPERATION. RILEY COUNTY ENCOMPASSES 624 SQUARE MILES, HAS A 1970 CENSUS POPULATION OF 41,019 WITH AN ESTIMATED 25,000 ADDITIONAL POPULATION DUE TO THE STUDENT BODY OF KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY AND MILITARY PERSONNEL LOCATED AT NEARBY FORT RILEY. THE HISTORY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE COUNTY IS GIVEN. IN 1973, STEPS WERE TAKEN TO CONSOLIDATE JAIL AND DETENTION FACILITIES IN THE COUNTY. OVER THE YEARS, THE DECLINING POPULATION OF THE SMALLER TOWNS HAD LED TO DISBANDMENT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS. MOST OF THESE SMALL COMMUNITIES EMPLOYED TOWN MARSHALS TO ENFORCE ORDINANCES OR CHECK BUILDINGS AT NIGHT. THE LIMITED NUMBER OF DEPUTIES HAD TO DEPEND UPON THE KANSAS HIGHWAY PATROL FOR ADDITIONAL PATROL ENFORCEMENT. THE LAW WAS CHANGED IN 1972 TO ALLOW CONSOLIDATION TO TAKE PLACE; THE MAJOR CHANGE WAS THE ELIMINATION OF THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF. THE RURAL AREAS FOUGHT THIS BECAUSE THEY FEARED MANHATTAN WOULD DOMINATE THE POLICE FORCE, AND THEY RECEIVED ADDITIONAL POLICE PROTECTION FROM THE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THE HISTORY OF THE FIGHT TO DEVELOP A CONSOLIDATED DEPARTMENT AND THE FINAL ORGANIZATION OF SUCH A DEPARTMENT ARE GIVEN IN DETAIL. THE FINAL COUNTYWIDE OPERATION IS DIVIDED INTO PATROL, TRAFFIC, INVESTIGATIVE, AND SPECIAL SERVICES UNITS. PERSONNEL INCLUDED 65 FROM THE MANHATTAN DEPARTMENT, 10 FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND 2 FROM THE TOWN OF OGDEN. EXAMS WERE GIVEN TO FILL THE RANKS OF THE NEW DEPARTMENT. EVERYONE RECEIVED A SALARY INCREASE WITH PAY EQUAL TO THAT OF THE LARGER DEPARTMENTS IN THE STATE. ALL WERE ENROLLED IN THE STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM, WORKMAN'S COMPENSATION, AND A COMPREHENSIVE PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY COVERAGE PROGRAM. TWO YEARS LATER THE PROGRAM SEEMED TO BE WORKING WELL DUE TO STRONG LEADERSHIP, GOOD PREPLANNING BEFORE THE CONSOLIDATION TOOK EFFECT, STRONG MEDIA SUPPORT, AND ATTENTION TO PUBLIC CONCERNS. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE OPERATION BE THOROUGHLY STUDIED AFTER 5 YEARS AS A POSSIBLE MODEL FOR OTHER POLICE CONSOLIDATIONS IN RURAL AREAS. APPENDIXES INCLUDE A GENERAL HIGHWAY MAP OF RILEY COUNTY, THE ENABLING LEGISLATION, AN ABSTRACT OF VOTES CAST AT GENERAL ELECTIONS IN 1972 AND 1974, THE RILEY COUNTY POLICE ACADEMY CURRICULUM, CRIME STATISTICS FOR RILEY COUNTY, AND SELECTED NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS. THE CRIME FIGURES SHOW THAT TOTAL CRIME IN THE COUNTY DROPPED FROM 3946 TO 3412 BETWEEN 1974 AND 1975, WHILE ARRESTS ROSE FROM 883 TO 987.