A QUESTIONNAIRE, TWO ATTITUDE SCALES, AND VARIOUS QUESTIONS OF OPINION WERE USED WITH A SAMPLE OF BELGIAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. ACKNOWLEDGING THE LIMITATION OF THE SAMPLE, CONCLUSIONS FROM THE STUDY ARE CONSIDERED TO HAVE ONLY AN INDICATIONAL VALUE. AMONG THE SAMPLE, CONSISTING MAINLY OF STUDENTS BELONGING TO THE MIDDLE-CLASS, THE EXISTENCE AND GENERAL FUNCTION OF THE POLICE AS PROTECTORS OF INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETY AGAINST CRIME IS ACCEPTED AND ADVOCATED. THE COERCIVE AND REPRESSIVE ASPECTS OF POLICE OPERATIONS ARE THE PREDOMINANT CHARACTERISTICS OF POLICE WORK IN THE MINDS OF THE RESPONDENTS. POLICE SURVEILLANCE, HOWEVER, IS CONSIDERED INCOMPETENT, WITH POLICE VIEWED AS ARRIVING TOO LATE WHEN NEEDED AND DISPLAYING A GENERAL INATTENTION TO COMPLAINTS MADE BY THE VICTIMS OF MINOR OFFENSES. POLICE, IN GENERAL, ARE CONSIDERED OF LOW INTELLIGENCE AND LACKING IN PROFESSIONAL CONSCIENCE. IN ADDITION TO THE SAMPLE OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, A SAMPLE OF 60 DELINQUENTS, APPROXIMATELY 16 YEARS OLD, WHO HAD COMMITTED ONE OR MORE SERIOUS OFFENSES, WAS INTERVIEWED. WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THE NECESSITY OF POLICE TO PROTECT SOCIETY FROM CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, THE DELINQUENT SAMPLE HAD THE FOLLOWING CHIEF COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE POLICE AND THEIR PROCEDURES: THE WAITING PERIOD BEFORE QUESTIONING; CUSTODY, DURING WHICH THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR FAMILY; THREATS TO MANIPULATE CONFESSIONS; MANIPULATIVE TECHNIQUES USED IN QUESTIONING; AND POLICE BRUTALITY. (RCB)