THE INCREASINGLY TIGHT INTERWEAVING OF COMPUTERS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN DATA PROCESSING FACILITATES ORGANIZATIONAL DECENTRALIZATION, EVEN TO THE POINT OF AUTONOMY FOR THE BASIC CELLS. PERIPHERAL OR ISOLATED UNITS CAN BE PROVIDED WITH DATA HERETOFORE ACCESSIBLE ONLY TO THOSE IN POSITIONS OF CENTRALIZED POWER. THE PYRAMIDAL STUCTURES AND OPERATIONS OF ORGANIZATIONS CAN BE REVISED TO ALLOW FOR GREATER FREEDOM OF ACTION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL WITHOUT SACRIFICING EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS. FOR POLICE WORK THIS CAN MEAN BETTER INTERPRETATION AND USE OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION IN THE AREAS OF OPERATIONAL DEPLOYMENT, FORECASTING, BUDGETING, AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. THE ENLIGHTENED USE OF DATA PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY IN POLICE AGENCIES REQUIRES APPROPRIATE TRAINING OF POLICE PERSONNEL. ONE APPROACH IN THE UNITED KINGDOM HAS INVOLVED THE JOINT DEVELOPMENT OF A TRAINING PROJECT BY A UNIVERSITY AND THE HOME OFFICE TECHNICAL SERVICES. THE RESULT HAS BEEN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CURRICULUM TO TRAIN POLICE MANAGERS IN THE USE OF COMPUTERS AND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION. THE AIMS OF THE CURRICULUM ARE TO GIVE PRACTICE IN DECISONMAKING TECHNIQUES, PROVIDE HELP IN THE INTERPRETATION AND USE OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CURRENTLY BEING DEVELOPED IN THE POLICE SERVICE, AID IN THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF FUTURE COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND DEVELOP SKILL IN APPLYING COMPUTER LOGIC TO A RANGE OF HYPOTHESES THAT MIGHT BE DEVELOPED AND ASSESSED IN DEALING WITH POLICE MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS. SUCH CURRICULA MUST BE CONTINUALLY UPDATED TO ACCORD WITH THE MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN DATA PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY. (RCB)