EFFECTIVE ANGER MANAGEMENT HAS IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR JOB EFFICIENCY, BETTER COMMUNITY RELATIONS, AND THE PERSONAL SAFETY OF PATROL OFFICERS. IN BEHAVIOR SETTINGS WHERE POLICE OFFICERS PERFORM THEIR DUTIES, THE ANGER-AROUSING POTENTIAL IS INCREASED BY ROLE CONFLICTS IN WHICH OFFICERS ARE CAUGHT BETWEEN TASKS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICE. TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH POLICE OFFICERS ARE PRONE TO PROVOCATION, TWO SAMPLES WITH 31 POLICE OFFICERS IN EACH WERE INVENTORIED TO EVALUATE THEIR RESPONSES TO 80 SITUATIONAL DESCRIPTIONS OF PROVOCATION INCIDENTS. THE FIRST SAMPLE CONSISTED OF OFFICERS ATTENDING INSERVICE TRAINING COURSES AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY. THE SECOND SAMPLE INCLUDED EXPERIENCED OFFICERS APPLYING FOR PATROL POSITIONS IN IRVINE, CALIF. ALTHOUGH EXPERIENCED POLICE AND UNDERGRADUATE GROUPS DID NOT DIFFER IN TOTAL ANGER SCORES, THEY EXHIBITED DIFFERENT RESPONSES TO PARTICULAR PROVOCATION SITUATIONS. THE DATA INDICATED THAT POLICE IN BOTH GROUPS WERE NOT EXTREME IN THEIR REACTIONS TO PROVOCATION. A METHOD FOR SENSITIZING OFFICERS TO AGGRESSIVE FEELINGS AND ISSUES OF SELF-CONTROL, TERMED STRESS INOCULATION, IS DESCRIBED. IT ENTAILS THE PROVISION OF SKILLS THAT ENABLE A PERSON TO COPE WITH A STRESSFUL SITUATION. THE METHOD'S STEPS INCLUDE COGNITIVE PREPARATION REGARDING FUNCTIONS AND DETERMINANTS OF ANGER, PROPERTIES OF AGGRESSIVE SEQUENCES, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF COGNITIVE FACTORS; SKILL ACQUISITION AND REHEARSAL WHEREBY PARTICIPANTS DISCOVER AND REVIEW COPING PROCESSES THROUGH SMALL GROUP EXERCISES; AND THE APPLICATION AND PRACTICE OF COPING TECHNIQUES DURING A GRADUATED SERIES OF ROLE-PLAYING PROVOCATIONS. THE INTRODUCTION OF ANGER REGULATION IN THIS METHOD IS SUPPLEMENTED BY THE PRESENTATION OF BEHAVIORAL SKILLS IN PROVOCATION MANAGEMENT, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON PERSONAL SAFETY, STRATEGIES TO DEFUSE THE PROVOCATION, AND CONFLICT-RESOLUTION TECHNIQUES. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE STRESS-INOCULATION METHOD FOR POLICE OFFICER SELECTION AND RESEARCH ARE DISCUSSED, AND REFERENCES AND TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)