A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DISTRIBUTED WHICH ATTEMPTED TO ELICIT ATTITUDES ON TRAINING AND HOW AND WHY POLICE OFFICERS USE DISCRETION. FINDINGS SUGGESTED THAT THERE WERE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE OPINIONS OF PATROL OFFICERS AND THOSE OF SENIOR OFFICERS ON THE USE OF DISCRETION. WHILE DISCRETION IS AN INDISPENSABLE PART OF POLICE WORK, POLICE ARE MAKING DECISIONS ON A DAILY BASIS FOR WHICH THEIR TRAINING MAY BE SUSPECT. MUCH DECISIONMAKING INFORMATION IS COMMUNICATED FROM VETERAN TO ROOKIE AND TRAINING IS INFORMAL, UNSYSTEMATIC AND TOO BRIEF. POLICE RESPONSES ACKNOWLEDGE THE NEED FOR MORE STRUCTURE, BUT WARNED OF THE DANGERS OF TOO MUCH REGULATION. ALTHOUGH 69 PERCENT OF THE OFFICERS SURVEYED HAD RECEIVED DISCRETION TRAINING, ON-THE-JOB EXPERIENCE WAS WHERE A MAJORITY OF OFFICERS LEARNED WHEN TO MAKE AN ARREST. THE OFFICERS' MOST WORRISOME CONCERNS ARE THE ABSENCE OF WORKABLE DEPARTMENTAL POLICIES, AND VARIATIONS AMONG LAW OFFICERS IN EXERCISING DISCRETION. THE STUDY SUGGESTS THAT MORE EMPHASIS--BOTH IN CLASS HOURS AND IN REALISM--ON DISCRETION AND DISCRETION TRAINING BE REFLECTED IN POLICE ACADEMY CURRICULUMS. NEW PATROL OFFICERS SHOULD ALSO LEARN THAT THERE IS A DISPARITY BETWEEN FORMAL TRAINING AND STREET LEARNING. INCREASED ATTENTION TO DISCRETION MIGHT LESSEN THE SHOCK AND DISILLUSIONMENT OF YOUNG RECRUITS. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--MJW)