Data was mostly gathered from court records and from surveys sent to law enforcement personnel, farmers, teenagers, and other consumers of law enforcement services. Data results show problems in recordkeeping procedures, insufficient personnel, a high incidence of juvenile crime, and a lack of communication capability. A detailed data analysis is given on law enforcement personnel and their views of rural law enforcement, police training, the performance level of rural police, and on youthful offenders. The report points out the need for better equipment, improved record keeping, and better training for all personnel. Areas for further research are suggested, including types of basic police skills and criminal investigation training particularly valuable to rural police, development of economical and effective communications, a clear description of the duties of the prosecuting attorney in rural areas, and more data on the correctional system as applied in rural areas. Tables and 10 bibliographic references are provided. Data collected for the study are appended.