THE STUDY IDENTIFIES THE FORMAL CENTRALIZED PLANNING ACTIVITIES OF THE NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT (NYPD) AND ANALYZES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THESE ACTIVITIES AND EXISTING THEORY AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PLANNING. THE PREMISES ON WHICH THE STUDY RESTS ARE THAT AN ORGANIZATION IS A COMPLEX OPEN SYSTEM WITH A PRIMARY GOAL OF SURVIVAL, THAT PLANNING SHOULD FACILITATE AN ORGANIZATION'S GOAL ACHIEVEMENT EFFORTS, AND THAT UNDERSTANDING THE PLANNING PROCESS SHOULD LEAD TO BETTER CONTROL BY MANAGEMENT OF AN ORGANIZATION'S ACTIVITIES AND/OR TO MODIFICATION OF PLANNING THEORY TOWARD GREATER CONFORMITY WITH REALITY. TO INVESTIGATE THE STRUCTURE OF PLANNING, DECISIONMAKING PROCESSES, AND PRODUCTS (PLANS) OF THE NYPD OFFICE OF PROGRAMS AND POLICIES, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE RECORDS WERE EXAMINED, INTERVIEWS WITH DEPARTMENT MEMBERS WERE CONDUCTED, AND FIRST-HAND OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE. THE STUDY REPORT INCLUDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS, A STATE OF THE ART REVIEW OF PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION THEORY AND PRACTICE (INCLUDING OPERATIONAL CONSTRAINTS LIKELY TO ENCUMBER AN ORGANIZATION'S PLANNING ACTIVITIES), AND A REVIEW OF THE GROWTH AND STATUS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AS A SYSTEM. THE EVOLUTION OF PLANNING AS A FORMAL FUNCTION WITHIN THE NYPD IS TRACED, AND AN ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE OF THE OFFICE OF PROGRAMS AND POLICIES--MISSION AND SUPPORT, ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN, MANPOWER AND STAFFING, PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND PATTERNS OF INTERACTION, PERCEPTIONS OF LEADERS AND MEMBERS--IS PRESENTED. THE OFFICE'S PLANNING PROCESS EMPHASIZES SYSTEMATIC CHANGE EFFORTS. A TAXONOMY OF THE OFFICE'S PLANNING ACTIVITIES DIVIDES 4,043 ACTIVITIES INTO TWO BROAD THEORETICAL CATEGORIES: INNOVATIVE PLANNING, SYSTEMIC CHANGE, AND POLICYMAKING; AND MAINTENANCE PLANNING (RESOURCE ALLOCATION, INTERNAL MANAGEMENT, AND PROCEDURAL CHANGE). THE ANALYSIS SHOWS THE DISPARITY BETWEEN INTENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT OVER THE 4-YEAR HISTORY OF THE OFFICE OF PROGRAMS AND POLICIES. THE UNIT WAS FOUND TO BE TRAPPED BETWEEN IDEALISTIC ASPIRATIONS FOR PROACTIVE PLANNING AIMED AT INCREASING ORGANIZATIONAL SELF-CONTROL AND THE PRAGMATIC REQUIREMENTS OF SURVIVING IN A TURBULENT ENVIRONMENT. THE STUDY FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE THAT PLANNERS AND MANAGERS IN POLICE DEPARTMENTS (AND IN OTHER SERVICE DELIVERY AGENCIES) NEED TO HAVE A MUCH MORE PRECISE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A PLANNING UNIT CAN AND SHOULD DO, WHOM IT CAN SERVE, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR ABUSE. A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)