THREE DISTINCTIONS ARE PROPOSED TO DETERMINE WHAT TYPES OF EFFORTS ARE NECESSARY TO IMPROVE THE POLICE-PUBLIC RELATIONSHIP: (1)WHETHER THERE ARE DIFFERENT GROUPS WITHIN THE PUBLIC WHICH HAVE CONTRARY EXPECTATIONS THAT ARE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE POLICE TO SATISFY SIMULTANEOUSLY, OR WHETHER DISAGREEMENTS ACTUALLY ARE BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL; (2) WHETHER THE CONTENT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DISAGREEMENTS CAN BE SPECIFIED; AND (3) WHETHER NEGATIVE EVALUATIONS OF THE POLICE REPRESENT CONFLICTING BELIEFS ABOUT PROPER POLICE FUNCTIONS AND SERVICES OR EMOTIONAL REACTIONS ARISING FROM CONTACT WITH REGULATORY POWER OF THE POLICE. AN ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTERED TO 167 POLICE OFFICERS (ROOKIES AND EXPERIENCED OFFICERS), 158 NATIONAL GUARDSMEN, AND 159 STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. THE TWO NONPOLICE GROUPS, WHO WERE VERY DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER, HELD SIMILAR BELIEFS ABOUT THE POLICE. THESE BELIEFS DIFFERED FROM THE POLICE OFFICERS' VIEWS OF THEMSELVES. THERE WAS CONSISTENT DIVERGENCE BETWEEN THE BELIEFS OF POLICE AND NONPOLICE SUBJECTS, WITH ONE EXCEPTION: NATIONAL GUARDSMEN TENDED TO AGREE WITH POLICE ABOUT POLICE USE OF WEAPONS. HOWEVER, BOTH NONPOLICE GROUPS EXPRESSED GENERAL ACCEPTANCE OF POLICE FUNCTIONS AND SERVICES. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PUBLIC AND POLICE PERCEPTIONS APPEAR TO STEM FROM THE PUBLIC'S LACK OF A CLEAR FRAME OF REFERENCE RATHER THAN FROM RIGID IDEAS. IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)