ESTABLISHED IN 1964, LOCAL POLICE AUTHORITIES WERE GIVEN POWER ONLY TO REQUEST REPORTS AND TO DISMISS CHIEF CONSTABLES FOR INEFFICIENCY. IN TTHE PRESENT STUDY, THE REGION EXAMINED HAD BOTH THE HIGHEST CRIME RATE AND THE HIGHEST PER CAPITA POLICE FORCE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, EXCEPT FOR NORTHERN IRELAND. RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED USING ANALYSIS OF THE POLICE AUTHORITIES' FINANCIAL DECISIONS, INTERVIEWS WITH 18 OF THE AUTHORITY'S 27 MEMBERS, AND ANALYSIS OF WRITTEN DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING COMMITTEE MINUTES, OFFICIAL POLICE PUBLICATIONS, LOCAL PRESS REPORTS, AND CORRESPONDENCE. RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE POLICE AUTHORITY HAD NEGLIGIBLE EFFECTIVE POWER AND DID NOT RECEIVE ADEQUATE ACCOUNTS OF POLICE EXPENDITURE. MOREOVER, THE CIVILIAN AUTHORITY CONDUCTED A PROCESS OF 'NONDECISONMAKING' ACCORDING TO THE MODEL PROPOSED BY BACKRACH AND BARATZ, ALTHOUGH LEGITIMATE GRIEVANCES AGAINST THE POLICE WERE BEING EXPRESSED BY CITY RESIDENTS. IN ADDITION, THE POLICE AUTHORITY IGNORED POTENTIAL MEANS OF ASSESSING AUTHORITY IGNORED POTENTIAL MEANS OF ASSESSING POLICE RESOURCES AND EMPLOYED VARIOUS MEANS TO DENY OR PREVENT CONFLICT ABOUT POLICE DEMANDS. THE POLICE AUTHORITY STUDIED APPEARED TO BE TYPICAL OF MOST POLICE AUTHORITIES. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE PROCESS OF FORMING INCREASINGLY LARGE POLICE UNITS AND THE ABDICATION BY THE HOME OFFICE AND BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACTIONS OF LOCAL FORCES HAVE WEAKENED PUBLIC CONTROL OF THE POLICE. FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)