TO GAIN A PRELIMINARY UNDERSTANDING OF THE ATTITUDES AND MOTIVATIONS OF THE TARGET MARKET (MALES AGED 16-24), 12 RECENT POLICE RECRUITS WERE INTERVIEWED TO GAIN INSIGHTS ABOUT THEIR MOTIVATIONS FOR BECOMING POLICE OFFICERS. A QUANTIFIED SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED BY MEANS OF 1,042 PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WITH A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THE TARGET MARKET FROM NOVEMBER 20, 1978, TO JANUARY 30, 1979. INFORMATION WAS COLLECTED ON BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS, JOB HISTORY, ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE, WHETHER OR NOT A CAREER AS A POLICE OFFICER WAS BEING CONSIDERED, AND IF SO, THE INFLUENCES AND INTEREST THAT PROMPTED SUCH A CAREER DESIRE. THE FINDINGS SHOWED THAT THOSE CONSIDERING A POLICE CAREER DIFFER LITTLE FROM ALL 16-TO 24-YEAR-OLE MALES IN TERMS OF DEMOGRAPHIC AND OCCUPATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS, BUT DO SHOW SOME DIFFERENCES IN TERMS OF THEIR ATTITUDES AND WHAT THEY WANT FROM A CAREER. THOSE INTERESTED IN A POLICE CAREER TENDED TO RESPECT AND IDENTIFY WITH POLICE OFFICERS, WHEREAS THOSE NOT INTERESTED IN A POLICE CAREER TENDED TO FEEL SEPARATE FROM AND APPREHENSIVE TOWARD THE POLICE. A LIST OF THE PRIMARY SAMPLING POINTS USED AND A COPY OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE ARE CONTAINED IN THE APPENDIX. TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)