CONCEPTIONS OF THE POLICE AND THE PROBLEMS OF POLICING IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE BEEN SHAPED BY THE POLITICAL UPHEAVALS AND CRISIS OF LEGITIMACY THAT CONFRONTED ALL INSTITUTIONS IN THE 1960'S. FOR THE FIRST TIME, POLICE REFORM IS COMING UNDER THE CONTROL OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT POLICE OFFICIALS AND HAVE NO PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE IN POLICING. RECENT RESEARCH HAS FOCUSED ATTENTION ON THE STRUCTURAL ASPECTS OF DISCRETION AND PEACEKEEPING IN POLICE WORK AND ON THE EMERGENCE OF THE IDEOLOGY OF POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS. SUCH STUDIES HAVE CRITIZED TRADITIONAL POLICE RATIONALES AND DEMONSTRATED THE CONTRADICTIONS INHERENT IN THE EXERCISE OF POLICE POWER. POLICE REFORM HAS BECOME AN ESTABLISHED ENTERPRISE IN THE 1970'S AND IS INCREASINGLY EXERCISED UNDER THE TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL OF PROFESSIONAL CHANGE-MAKERS. SUCH TECHNOLOGICAL AND LEGALISTIC REFORMS REFLECT AN ACCELERATED MOVEMENT AWAY FROM CONCERNS OF SUBSTANTIVE RATIONALITY TO THOSE OF FORMAL RATIONALITY, DEPOLITICIZING THE REFORM PROCESS, AND ROBBING IT OF POLICY DIRECTION. WHILE HELPING TO INSULATE THE POLICE FROM POLITICAL MANIPULATION, THE MOVEMENT ALSO ATTENUATES THE AIMS OF POLITICAL JUSTICE, INCLUDING THOSE OF POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY, LOCAL COMMUNITY REVIEW, AND CONTROL OF POLICE DISCRETIONARY POLICYMAKING POWERS. THUS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF POLICE PRACTICE AND DEVELOP SKILLED, INFORMED, AND JUDICIOUS POLICE OFFICERS REMAIN BLOCKED BY A SET OF STRUCTURAL AND CULTURAL CONSTRAINTS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED - MJW)