A TOTAL OF 405 POLICE OFFICERS REPRESENTING 9 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WERE GIVEN A 103-ITEM QUESTIONNAIRE. FIVE DIMENSIONS OF POLICE PROFESSIONALISM WERE MEASURED USING THE HALL PROFESSIONALISM SCALE, AS REVISED BY SNIZEK: (1) USE OF THE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION AS A MAJOR REFERENT (2) BELIEF IN PUBLIC SERVICE, (3) BELIEF IN AUTONOMY, (4) BELIEF IN SELF-REGULATION, AND (5) A SENSE OF CALLING TO THE FIELD. POLICE CYNICISM WAS MEASURED BY REGOLI'S MODIFIED FORM ON NIEDERHOFFER'S INDEX USING A 20-ITEM LIKERT SCALE, AND WORK ALIENATION WAS ESTIMATED WITH MILLER'S 5-ITEM LIKERT SCALE. OF THE FIVE PROFESSIONALISM SUBSCALES, A SENSE OF CALLING TO THE FIELD WAS OF GREATEST IMPACT IN REDUCING BOTH CYNICISM AND WORK ALIENATION, IRRESPECTIVE OF DEPARTMENT SIZE. AUTONOMY REDUCED BOTH CYNICISM AND WORK ALIENATION IN LARGE DEPARTMENTS (71-116 OFFICERS), BUT HAD NO EFFECT ON EITHER VARIABLE IN SMALL DEPARTMENTS, WHICH MAY BE EXPLAINED BY THE WELCOME RELIEF AUTONOMY OFFERS TO OFFICERS IN LARGE DEPARTMENTS WHICH TEND TO BE OPERATED BY FORMALIZED BUREAUCRATIC PROCEDURES WHEREAS, OFFICERS IN SMALL DEPARTMENTS TAKE AUTONOMY FOR GRANTED. FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT A POTENTIAL ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY FOR MINIMIZING CYNICISM AND WORK ALIENATION AMONG OFFICERS IN BOTH LARGE AND SMALL DEPARTMENTS IS TO RAISE THE OFFICER'S DEDICATION TO DUTY. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)