THE ASSESSMENT CENTER METHOD IS PRIMARILY A STRUCTURED EVALUATION OF RELEVANT SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND CAPABILITIES OF INDIVIDUALS FOR ENTRY LEVEL POSITIONS OR PROMOTION BY MEANS OF SITUATIONAL TESTING. THE TESTS RELATE DIRECTLY TO EITHER THE SPECIFIC SITUATION OR TO THE GENERAL OCCUPATIONAL LEVEL OF THE CANDIDATE. THE EVALUATION REQUIRES THAT SEVERAL ASSESSORS CONSOLIDATE THEIR FINDINGS INTO REASONABLY OBJECTIVE APPRAISALS OF THE CANDIDATE'S POTENTIAL CAPABILITIES. FOLLOWING A PRELIMINARY SCREENING PROCESS WHICH IDENTIFIES THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATES, SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES ARE ASSIGNED TO GROUPS OF FOUR TO SIX, AND THEIR PERFORMANCE ON TEST EXERCISES IS EVALUATED. EXERCISES ARE DESIGNED TO ELICIT CERTAIN PREDETERMINED JOB-RELATED BEHAVIORS WHICH ARE EVALUATED AND SCORED. ASSESSMENTS ARE COMBINED DURING AN ASSESSOR CONFERENCE, AND THE CANDIDATE MAY BE ASKED TO PARTICIPATE IN A PERSONAL INTERVIEW DURING WHICH PERFORMANCE IS DISCUSSED AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER IMPROVEMENT ARE MADE AND ILLUSTRATED WITH OBSERVED BEHAVIORAL EXAMPLES. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF THIS METHOD AND IT DOES WELL UNDER EQUAL EMPLOYMENT AGENCY SCRUTINY. ONE DRAWBACK IN THE METHOD IS ITS RELATIVE HIGH COST, ROUGHLY $300.00 PER CANDIDATE, AND TO DATE POLICE HAVE PRIMARILY UTILIZED THIS METHOD ONLY FOR MIDMANAGEMENT AND EXECUTIVE LEVEL SCREENING. MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH ALL SELECTION METHODOLOGIES, WHETHER BASED ON MERIT SYSTEMS OR PURELY SUBJECTIVE JUDGEMENT, INCLUDE EXAMINER SUBJECTIVITY, INAPPROPRIATE TEST INSTRUMENT, IRRELEVANT PERFORMANCE CRITERIA, OVERSIMPLIFIED SELECTION PROCESSES, INAPPROPRIATE WEIGHTING OF SELECTION COMPONENTS, A LACK OF INFORMATION CONCERNING THE PROCEDURE'S ACTUAL PREDICTIVE VALIDITY, AGENCY REGULATIONS WHICH MAY INFLUENCE SELECTION, AND EXECUTIVE DISCRETION AND PROBATIONARY HIRING PROCEDURES WHICH ALLOW CIRCUMVENTION OF ESTABLISHED SELECTION PROCESSES. THE ASSESSMENT CENTER METHOD IS ABLE TO AVOID SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS BY COMBINING ASPECTS OF MANY EXISTING SELECTION PROCEDURES IN A MANNER WHICH ENHANCES OBJECTIVITY AND CONSISTENCY. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ASSESSMENT METHOD IN KANSAS CITY (MISSOURI) FOR THE SELECTION OF POLICE SERGEANTS, AND IN ROCHESTER (NEW YORK) FOR THE SELECTION OF INVESTIGATORS IS DETAILED. THE NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS USED THE ASSESSMENT CENTER METHOD FOR BOTH UPPER LEVEL MANAGEMENT AND FOR LOWER RANKS; AND THE MISSISSIPPI BUREAU OF NARCOTICS HAS IMPLEMENTED THE METHOD FOR ENTRY LEVEL POSITIONS. USE OF THE METHOD TO SELECT A NEW CHIEF OF POLICE IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, IS ALSO DESCRIBED. A CHART INDICATING THE SELECTION STEPS IN ROCHESTER, KANSAS CITY, SAVANNAH IS ALSO INCLUDED. ASSESSOR TRAINING, EXERCISE DEVELOPMENT, ADMINISTRATION, SCHEDULING, FACILITIES, AND THE ASSESSOR CONFERENCE ARE DISCUSSED IN GREATER DETAIL. THE APPENDIX INCLUDES COPIES OF THE ASSESSOR REPORT FORM, AND THE ASSESSOR'S AND ADMINISTRATOR'S TALLY FORMS WITH EXPLANATIONS OF EACH. (JAP)