TIME WAS SPENT FIRST WITH EXPERIENCED BEAT OFFICERS WHO OPERATED IN THE EXPERIMENTAL ROLE OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICERS IN A WORKING CLASS AREA OF ROTTERDAM AND THEN IN THE RED-LIGHT DISTRICT OF AMSTERDAM. THE PRESENCE OF SOCIAL SCIENTISTS WHO WERE ACCEPTED IN THE POLICE SYSTEM FACILITATED THE ACCESS OF THE RESEARCHER TO OBSERVING POLICE WORK. THE BUREAU WARMOESSTRAAT IN AMSTERDAM WAS THE POLICE STATION SELECTED FOR INDEPTH INVESTIGATION IN 1974. THE FIRST FEW PATROLS TOOK PLACE IN THE DAYTIME HOURS, AND MUCH OF THE ACTIVITY WAS ROUTINE (STOPPING AND CHECKING THE PAPERS OF CARS, DEALING WITH HARMLESS DRUNKS, AND GIVING INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC). THE RESEARCHER MADE AN EFFORT TO PERFORM THE SAME TASKS AS POLICE OFFICERS. IN ANOTHER STAGE OF OBSERVATION FROM JANUARY TO MARCH 1975, IT WAS FOUND THAT ALMOST ALL POLICE PERSONNEL AND SPECIALIZED POLICE SERVICES OPERATE DURING OFFICE HOURS AND PATROLMEN ARE LEFT TO THEMSELVES IN THE EVENINGS AND AT NIGHT. AT TIMES, IT WAS NOTICED THAT VICTIMS WERE TREATED ALMOST AS ABRUPTLY AS SUSPECTS. ON OCCASIONS, WARMOESSTRAAT POLICE ATTRACTED ACCUSATIONS OF BRUTALITY AND RACIAL PREJUDICE. OVERALL PROBLEMS FACED BY THE RESEARCHER IN THE OBSERVATION OF POLICE WORK CONCERNED ACCESS, INITIAL ENTRY, THE RESEARCH ROLE, AND DEPARTURE. NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)