MANY POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN RURAL AREAS WITH STAFFS OF 25 PERSONS OR LESS HAVE MANAGED TO COPE WITH INCREASING COSTS OF LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WHILE MAINTAINING ACCEPTABLE LEVELS OF SERVICE DELIVERY BY CONSOLIDATING WITH LARGER DEPARTMENTS AND USING APPROACHES RANGING FROM INFORMAL ARRANGEMENTS IN WHICH DEPARTMENTS AGREE TO COLLECTIVELY PERFORM TASKS THAT ARE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL TO ANNEXATION IN WHICH ONE UNIT IS ABSORBED TOTALLY OR PARTIALLY BY ANOTHER AGENCY. THESE APPROACHES ARE ILLUSTRATED WITH CASE STUDIES. DEPARTMENTS CONSIDERING MERGERS SHOULD FIRST CONDUCT A FEASIBILITY STUDY WHICH INCLUDES DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILES OF PARTICIPATING JURISDICTIONS; PROFILES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT MANPOWER, MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION, AND REPORTED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY; AND EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES INVENTORY AND ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS OF EXISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. PLANNING AND ACTIVITIES MUST CONSIDER TRANSFER OF EQUIPMENT, EQUALIZATION OF SALARIES, AND DEVELOPMENT OF GENERAL ORDERS AND FIELD MANUALS. COST OF A DESIRED LEVEL OF SERVICE UNDER AN EXISTING LOCAL AGENCY SHOULD BE ESTIMATED AND COMPARED TO THE ESTIMATED COSTS OF THE CONSOLIDATED SYSTEM. GUIDELINES ARE GIVEN FOR MEETING THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS OF A MERGED SYSTEM, SHARING THE COSTS, INSURING THAT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED, USING FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD, AND DEALING WITH PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATIVE CONCERNS DURING TRANSITION. A SECTION ON RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE PROVIDER AND RECIPIENT AGENCY DISCUSSES USE OF FORMAL CONTRACTS OR AGREEMENTS, NEGOTIATING THE CONTRACT, USING PERMANENT LAW ENFORCEMENT REVIEW BODIES, AND MAINTAINING COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE JURISDICTIONS. THE FINAL CHAPTER OUTLINES A SYSTEM FOR EVALUATING THE MERGED SYSTEM. APPENDIXES CONTAIN A SELECTED, ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY, THE QUESTIONNAIRE, AND AN ANALYSIS OF MERGED STUDY DATA, A MODEL STUDY FEASIBILITY OUTLINE, A MODEL INTERLOCAL CONTRACTING AND JOINT ENTERPRISES ACT, AND A LIST OF STATE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING AGENCIES.