COMPTON, CALIF., IS A COMMUNITY OF 78,600 RESIDENTS ADJACENT TO THE WATTS SECTION OF LOS ANGELES: 94 PERCENT OF THE RESIDENTS ARE MINORITIES. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS REPORTED TO HAVE 147 SWORN FULL-TIME OFFICERS OF WHICH 11 ARE WOMEN, 76 WHITE, 49 BLACK, 21 LATINO, AND 1 ASIAN. THE FULL-TIME OFFICERS ARE SUPPLEMENTED BY A 65-OFFICER RESERVE FORCE, 26 BLACK, 25 WHITE, AND 14 LATINO. THE CHIEF IS ONE OF TWO BLACK POLICE CHIEFS IN THE STATE. UPON TAKING OFFICE IN 1976, THE CHIEF STRESSED IMPROVED COMMUNICATION WITH THE COMMUNITY. RECOGNIZING THAT A FIFTH OF COMPTON'S RESIDENCES ARE SPANISH-SPEAKING, A CONVERSATIONAL SPANISH COURSE WAS ESTABLISHED FOR INSERVICE PERSONNEL, AND BILINGUAL DISPATCHERS WERE RECRUITED. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN CRIME PREVENTION IS ALSO EMPHASIZED. POLICE SALARIES ARE REPORTED, ALONG WITH THEIR HOUSING PATTERNS. INCIDENTS OF POLICE OPERATIONS OBSERVED WHILE THE AUTHOR WAS RIDING IN PATROL CARS ARE DESCRIBED AND DISCUSSED. OFFICERS EXERCISE CONSIDERABLE DISCRETION IN HANDLING CRIME SITUATIONS AND DECIDING WHAT IS AND IS NOT CAUSE FOR ARREST. NO OFFICER WAS OBSERVED TO MAKE A STOP OR CONDUCT A SEARCH WITHOUT REASONABLE CAUSE. THE COMPTON OFFICER'S DEFINITION OF CRIME PARALLELS THAT OF MOST RESIDENTS, SO THAT HIS DEFINITION OF A CRIMINAL IS GENERALLY ACCEPTED AND HIS ACTIONS SUPPORTED. THE SMALLNESS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE DEPARTMENT IMPRESS UPON THE OFFICER THE IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE RESIDENTS, REALIZING HE CONTACTS THEM REGULARLY AND NEEDS THEIR SUPPORT IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH HIS DUTIES. THE ETHNIC COMPOSITION OF THE DEPARTMENT EXEMPTS IT FROM MOST RACIAL PROBLEMS PLAGUING URBAN POLICE. IN ADDITION, THE COMPTON POLICE ARE NOT CAUGHT UP IN THE FORMAL, PARA-MILITARY RITUAL OF SOME NEARBY DEPARTMENTS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE COMPTON POLICE SET AN EXAMPLE FOR FAIR AND FIRM LAW ENFORCEMENT. (RCB)