FOR 3 MONTHS IN 1976 REPORTERS RODE WITH OFFICERS OF NEW YORK'S 44TH PRECINCT, IN SOUTH BRONX, AND WITNESSED FIRST-HAND THE OFFICERS' DAILY CONFRONTATIONS WITH CRIME. THE TRANSCRIPT IS A VERBATIM RECORD OF THE OFFICERS' CONVERSATIONS WITH EACH OTHER, WITH THE REPORTERS, AND WITH CITIZENS OF SOUTH BRONX. THE OFFICERS DESCRIBE THEIR PROBLEMS AND THE ATTITUDES THEY HAVE ADOPTED TO COPE WITH THEIR JOBS. ENCOUNTERS WITH MEMBERS OF JUVENILE GANGS, WITH DISPUTING NEIGHBORS, WITH WITNESSES TO A ROBBERY, AND WITH A RAPE SUSPECT ARE DOCUMENTED. THE OFFICERS DESCRIBE HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO APPREHEND SUSPECTS AT TIMES--HOW A 120-POUND BURGLAR CAN GET INTO A VIOLENT STATE AND EXHIBIT SUCH STRENGTH THAT SEVERAL OFFICERS ARE REQUIRED TO RESTRAIN HIM. IN OTHER INCIDENTS, OFFICERS ARE CALLED UPON TO FIND A MAN A PLACE TO STAY FOR THE NIGHT, TO HANDLE A DOMESTIC DISPUTE IN WHICH A YOUNG WOMAN HAS BEEN LOCKED OUT OF HER HOME, AND TO ARREST A 69-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FOR HITTING HER DAUGHTER IN THE FACE WITH AN AXE. ONE OFFICER EXPLAINS HOW UNPREPARED HE WAS FOR THE REALITIES OF POLICE WORK IN SOUTH BRONX. HE SAYS THAT POLICE OFFICERS CANNOT AFFORD TO BECOME EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED IN THEIR WORK AND MUST DEVELOP A CALLOUSNESS THAT PERMITS THEM TO COPE WITH THE SITUATIONS THEY ENCOUNTER. THE OFFICER COMMENTS ON THE MANY WAYS IN WHICH MOST PEOPLE FAIL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A POLICE OFFICER IN AN AREA LIKE SOUTH BRONX. THE TRANSCRIPT ALSO DOCUMENTS POLICE INTERVENTION IN AN INCIDENT IN WHICH AN ARGUMENT ESCALATES INTO AN ARMED CONFRONTATION AND FINALLY A KILLING. ONE OFFICER REFLECTS ON THE SITUATION IN SOUTH BRONX, COMPARING THE POLICE TO AN ARMY OF OCCUPATION. THE TRANSCRIPT CLOSES WITH A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF POLICE OFFICERS' HANDLING OF A SHOOTING AND WITH A REFERENCE TO POLICE MAPS THAT SHOW THE EXTENT TO WHICH SOUTH BRONX HAS BEEN DEVASTATED. (LKM)