LABELING THEORISTS ARE UNCLEAR ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE PROCESS THAT LEADS TO THIS ALLEGED DISCRIMINATION. ONE VIEW IS THAT POLICE ARE 'PROACTIVE', THAT IS, THEY ACTIVELY SELECT SUSPECTS WHO MATCH CRIMINAL STEREOTYPES. A SECOND VIEW IS THAT POLICE ARE 'REACTIVE' OR THEY ARE PASSIVE AND RESPOND TO OUTSIDE PRESSURES AND INFLUENCES. EXAMINATION OF DISPOSITION OF 984 JUVENILE FIRST OFFENDERS' CASES DID SHOW APPARENT DISCRIMINATION. OF NONMANUAL WORKERS' CHILDREN, 88.9 PERCENT WERE CAUTIONED RATHER THAN BEING SENT TO COURT, COMPARED WITH 77.2 PERCENT OF MANUAL WORKERS' CHILDREN. THIS DIFFERENCE WAS SIGNIFICANT AT THE 0.001 LEVEL. WHETHER PROACTIVE OR REACTIVE POLICE BEHAVIOR WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DIFFERENCE WAS TESTED USING TAPED INTERVIEWS WITH POLICE AND REVIEW OF 45 WRITTEN HOME VISIT REPORTS. THE INTERVIEWS SHOWED THAT POLICE HAVE AN OPEN AND FLEXIBLE VIEW OF A TYPICAL DELINQUENT, RATHER THAN SOCIOECONOMIC STEREOTYPES, ALTHOUGH THE CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THEIR ORALLY EXPRESSED VIEWS AND THEIR ACTIONS WAS NOT INVESTIGATED. THE HOME VISIT REPORTS, HOWEVER, SHOWED DEFINITE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WORKING CLASS AND MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES IN TERMS OF SOCIAL SKILLS AND ABILITY TO PRODUCE A FAVORABLE IMPRESSION ON POLICE OFFICERS. RESULTS THEREFORE SUPPORTED THE REACTIVE MODEL OF POLICE DECISIONMAKING. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO CONFIRM AND CLARIFY THESE RESULTS. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. (CFW)