THIS FIRST STEP TOWARDS A CODIFICATION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS AT VARIOUS LEVELS OF ANALYSIS AND AMONG DIFFERING DISCIPLINES IS FOCUSED ON FOUR ASPECTS OF POLICE WORK-DETECTION, ARREST, SERVICE, AND VIOLENCE. TAKING THESE TYPES OF BEHAVIOR INTO ACCOUNT, THE FRAMEWORK ATTRIBUTES EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE TO EACH OF THE FIVE APPROACHES OF EXPLANATION. FOR INSTANCE THE INDIVIDUAL APPROACH ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN VARIATION IN THE BEHAVIOR OF OFFICERS WITH SUCH FACTORS AS AGE (ONE COHORT STUDY FOUND THAT OFFICERS WHO WERE OLDEST AT TIME OF APPOINTMENT WERE LESS LIKELY THAN AVERAGE TO HAVE CIVILIAN COMPLAINTS FILED AGAINST THEM FOR DISCOURTESY, RACIAL SLURS, OR EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE) AND LENGTH OF SERVICE (RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT MORE EXPERIENCED OFFICERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO MAKE ARRESTS THAT RESULT IN CONVICTION). OFFICER SEX, EDUCATION, HEIGHT, RACE, JOB SATISFACTION, AND RACIAL ATTITUDES ARE FURTHER CONTRIBUTORY INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS. THE SECOND EXPLANATORY APPROACH ASSUMES THAT STRUCTURAL ATTRIBUTES OF POLICE-CITIZEN ENCOUNTERS DETERMINE OFFICER'S BEHAVIOR. THESE INCLUDE THE WAY POLICE ENTER AN ENCOUNTER (POLICE WHO ENTER AT THEIR OWN INITIATIVE, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO ARREST MORE OFTEN), THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SUSPECT AND COMPLAINANT, AND THE VISIBILITY OF THE ENCOUNTER. THE REMAINING APPROACHES, ORGANIZATIONAL, OR HOW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ORGANIZED AND ADMINISTERED, COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS, NAMELY ITS POLITY, ECONOMY, AND DEMOGRAPHY, AND LEGAL VARIABLES SUCH AS OFFENSE SERIOUSNESS AND EVIDENCE, ALSO HAVE SUPPORTIVE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE. HOWEVER, VERY FEW OF THE ABOVEMENTIONED BIVARIATE RELATIONSHIPS HAVE BEEN ELABORATED INTO MULTIVARIATE RELATIONSHIPS WITH ANY OF THE OTHER INDEPENDENT VARIABLES. THE MOST SYSTEMATIC ATTEMPT TO DO THIS (FRIEDRICH, 1977) SHOWS ONLY WEAK RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE MOST PART, SUGGESTING A NEED FOR IMPROVED MEASUREMENT, USE OF DIFFERENT THEORETICAL MODELS, AND RESEARCH DESIGNED TO SPECIFICALLY EXAMINE MULTIVARIATE RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS LEVELS OF ANALYSIS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)