BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE HAVE LITTLE CONTACT WITH THE POLICE AND TELEVISION IDEALIZES THEM, CITIZENS ARE ALIENATED WHEN THEIR FALSE EXPECTATIONS ARE NOT FULFILLED. ALTHOUGH TELEVISION MAY ALSO PORTRAY THE POLICE AS BUMBLERS, POLICE VETERANS CLAIM THE MORE COMMON, EXTREMELY EFFICIENT TELEVISION TYPE IS INACCURATE AND FAVOR EMPHASIZING THE HUMANITY OF POLICE. IN ADDITION, POLICE SHOWS EMPHASIZE ACTION AND CRIMINAL APPREHENSION AND IGNORE CRIME PREVENTION AND OTHER POLICE WORK. OFTEN POLICE EDUCATION IS DEBUNKED IN FAVOR OF EXPERIENCE. MOREOVER, TELEVISION POLICE ARE LESS SUSCEPTIBLE TO POLITICS THAN ARE REAL POLICE. OTHER INACCURACIES INCLUDE THE PORTRAYAL OF MINORITY POLICE, OVEREMPHASIS ON VIOLENCE AND TECHNICAL SOPHISTICATION TO SOLVE CRIME, INCONSEQUENTIAL HELP GIVEN POLICE BY CITIZENS, TOO-GREAT SUCCESS IN APPREHENDING CRIMINALS, IMPROBABLE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND CONTEMPT SHOWN BY TELEVISION POLICE FOR SUSPECTS' CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. TELEVISION ALSO GIVES A SIMPLISTIC VIEW OF THE RELATIONS BETWEEN JUDGES, LAWYERS, PROSECUTORS, AND POLICE. ALL MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICE ARE BLAMED ON OTHERS, WHILE IN REALITY ALL FOUR CONTRIBUTE. CONVERSELY, ALL IMPORTANT CRIME-SOLVING WORK IS WRONGLY ASCRIBED TO THE POLICE. TELEVISION POLICE SHOWS ALSO TEACH VIOLENCE AS A PROBLEM SOLVER AND IGNORE PLEA BARGAINING (THROUGH WHICH 90 PERCENT OF ALL U.S. CRIMINAL CASES ARE RESOLVED). BUT NOT ALL INACCURACIES OF POLICE SHOWS HAVE NEGATIVE RESULTS, AND PUBLIC AWARENESS OF POLICE OBSTACLES MAY LEAD TO INCREASED RESPECT FOR LAW-ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. NOTES AND TABLES ARE INCLUDED. (PAP)