IT WAS RIOTS AND FEAR OF RIOTS, NOT CRIME, THAT LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF POLICE FORCES IN GREAT BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES. IN THIS RESPECT, THE POLICE WERE CREATED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE MILITARY. IT WAS ONLY LATER THAT THE FUNCTIONS OF ORDER MAINTENANCE AND CRIME CONTROL WERE COMBINED IN THE POLICE AGENCY. TWO QUESTIONS ARISE FROM THE OBSERVATION THAT THE POLICE WERE AN OUTGROWTH OF THE MILITARY: ARE THE PRINCIPLES OF CONTROL APPLICABLE TO THE MILITARY ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE POLICE? TO WHAT EXTENT DO THE POLICE PRESENT A PROBLEM OF CIVILIAN CONTROL PARALLEL TO THAT PRESENTED BY THE MILITARY? TO ADDRESS THESE QUESTIONS, A CONCEPTUAL, HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE PRINCIPLE OF CIVILIAN SUPREMACY IN DEMOCRACIES IS PRESENTED, WITH REFERENCE TO THE TRANSMITTAL TO THE UNITED STATES OF THE BRITISH BELIEF THAT THE MILITARY (AND BY ANALOGY THE POLICE) CONSTITUTES A GRAVE THREAT TO CIVIL LIBERTIES AND REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AND MUST BE SUBJECTED TO STRONG CIVILIAN CONTROL. CASES ILLUSTRATING SEVERAL ASPECTS OF THE PROBLEM OF MAINTAINING CIVILIAN SUPREMACY OVER POLICE ARE ANALYZED. THE CASES INVOLVE POLICE CHALLENGES TO MAYORS, CITY COUNCILS, AND THE JUDICIARY, PRIMARILY IN CLEVELAND BUT ALSO IN OTHER CITIES. OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CIVILIAN CONTROL PROBLEM--POLICE RESISTANCE TO CHANGE, POLICE USE OF FIREARMS, ABUSES OF POLICE POWER, CORRUPTION IN POLICE DEPARTMENTS, POLICE LABOR DISPUTES, POLICE INVOLVEMENT IN POLITICAL PROCESSES ARE CONSIDERED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE POLICE AND MILITARY ROLES, THE POLICE CONSTITUTE A CHALLENGE TO THE PRINCIPLE OF CIVILIAN SUPREMACY. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE PRESENTED FOR MINIMIZING THIS CHALLENGE IN EACH OF THE PROBLEM AREAS DISCUSSED. A 26-PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)