THE STUDENT COMPILED EMPIRICAL DATA FROM AN EXTENSIVE REVIEW OF BOTH THE LITERATURE AND TELEVISION AND NEWSPAPER COVERAGE. IN ADDITION, A SMALL BUT VARIED SAMPLE OF BRITISH POLICE WAS SURVEYED TO ASSESS THE POLICE TELEVISION IMAGE. SAMPLED OFFICERS GUAGED WAYS IN WHICH TELEVISION'S PRESENTATION OF THEIR ROLE WAS LIKELY TO INFLUENCE BOTH THEIR PUBLIC IMAGE AND THE LEVEL OF PUBLIC COOPERATION. ALTHOUGH A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS WAS NOT CONDUCTED, THE SURVEYED OFFICERS INFORMALLY AGREED THAT TELEVISION PROGRAMS HAD SOME INFLUENCE ON THE PUBLIC. HOWEVER, THEY WERE LESS SURE ABOUT ANY RESULTANT POSITIVE PERCEPTION OF THE POLICE ROLE. A SMALL FORCE IN SOCIETY, POLICE ARE MAJOR SUBJECTS IN TELEVISION, MAKING APPEARANCES NOT ONLY IN CRIME DRAMAS, NEWS PROGRAMS, DOCUMENTARIES, AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS, BUT ALSO IN NONCRIME PROGRAMS. DATA SUGGEST THAT A GENERALLY AGREED UPON DISTORTION BORN OF DRAMATIC NECESSITY INEVITABLY LEADS TO AN UNREALISTIC POLICE TELEVISION IMAGE. APPENDIXES INCLUDE THE POLICE QUESTIONNAIRE, TABLES WITH DATA ANALYSES AND PROGRAM IMAGE RATINGS, AND TELEVISION VIEWING LOGS. NUMEROUS FOOTNOTES AND OVER 30 REFERENCES ARE LISTED.