INCREASED INTEREST AND IMPROVED RECRUITING PRACTICES RESULTED IN AN OVERALL NET GAIN IN NUMBER OF OFFICERS FOR 1976 DESPITE THE EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH NUMBERS OF RETIREMENTS. THE LARGE NUMBER OF TRAINEES PLACED DEMANDS ON TRAINING FACILITIES, WHICH NECESSITATED THE PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATIONS. RECRUITING EFFORTS WERE NOT AS SUCCESSFUL AS HAD BEEN HOPED IN BRINGING MINORITY GROUP MEMBERS IN TO THE FORCE. THE CADET CORPS CONTINUED TO BE AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF RECRUITS WHO BECOME HIGH-QUALITY OFFICERS. INSERVICE AND SPECIALIZED TRAINING COURSES WERE PROVIDED IN A NUMBER OF AREAS. INCREASED MANPOWER, IN CONJUNCTION WITH CIVIL STAFFING CUTS, LED TO SOME ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS. ECONOMIC UNREST AND THE POLITICAL TROUBLES IN IRELAND, COUPLED WITH OUTBREAKS OF VIOLENCE ASSOCIATED WITH SPORTING AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS, CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCREASE OF PUBLIC ORDER SITUATIONS REQUIRING SPECIAL POLICE ARRANGEMENTS. WHILE A GENERAL DECREASE IN TERRORIST ACTIVITY ALLOWED A CURTAILMENT OF SPECIAL PATROLS AND PROTECTIVE FORCES, A HIGH DEGREE OF READINESS AND STRINGENT PRECAUTIONS WERE MAINTAINED AT HEATHROW AIRPORT. IMPROVED TRAINING PROCEDURES AND EXTENSIVE WORK AND INITIATIVES WERE UNDERTAKEN IN THE AREA OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS, AND A PARTICULAR EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON WORKING WITH YOUTH THROUGH THE SCHOOLS. WHILE CRIME CONTINUED TO RISE, THE OVERALL INCREASE FOR 1976 WAS ONLY 4 PERCENT AS COMPARED WITH A RISE OF 9 PERCENT IN 1975. OVERALL, CRIMES OF VIOLENCE ROSE BY 18 PERCENT: ASSAULT INCLUDING HOMICIDE ROSE 11 PERCENT, AND ROBBERY AND OTHER VIOLENT THEFT ROSE 27 PERCENT. A SMALLER INCREASE IN BURGLARY (9 PERCENT) AND AUTO CRIME (3 PERCENT) WAS ALSO SEEN. TO BETTER DEAL WITH THE INCREASINGLY SOPHISTICATED TECHNIQUES OF CAR THIEVES, THE DIVISIONS RESPONSIBLE FOR FRAUD AND FORGERY INVESTIGATION AND FOR STOLEN VEHICLE INVESTIGATIONS WERE JOINED UNDER THE DEPUTY ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER. THE BOMB SQUAD BECAME A SEPARATE COMMAND, RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL FORMS OF TERRORIST ACTIVITY. THE CENTRAL OFFICE, FLYING SQUAD, REGIONAL CRIME SQUAD, AND CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE BRANCH CONTINUED TO PROVIDE SPECIALIZED SUPPORT SERVICES, AND THE POLICE NATIONAL COMPUTER FACILITY BECAME FULLY OPERATIONAL. A GREATER EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH BOTH SPECIAL INFORMATION RELEASES AND THE NEWS MEDIA. A NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT POLICY FORMULATION, TRAFFIC ENGINEERING, AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT DATA COLLECTION PROJECTS WERE COMPLETED. THERE WAS ONLY A MARGINAL INCREASE IN OVERALL ROAD ACCIDENTS; HOWEVER, CASUALTIES TO DRIVERS OF TWO-WHEELED VEHICLES CONTINUED TO RISE SHARPLY. APPENDIXES INCLUDE TABULAR DATA PERTAINING TO ILLNESS/INJURY, AWARDS AND CHANGES IN THE FORCE; COURT PROCEEDINGS; INDICTABLE OFFENSES, ARREST, AND CLEARANCE RATES; TRAFFIC STATISTICS; AND RESEARCH INTO BAIL ABUSE AND ABSCONDING. (JAP)