Among dangers to be avoided are crisis-induced panic and the minimization of the problem, as well as strategic planning by police leadership without rank-and-file participation. Even the most serious violence problems afford opportunities for learning if such problems are addressed by cross sections of a police department's membership. Police unions can be involved as partners in organizational problemsolving, as has occurred in industry in Quality of Work Life experiments. Joint worker-manager problemsolving is independent of labor management negotiations, which can take adversary form. Recent experiences in the Oakland Police Department (California) have shown that even officers who have a high level of involvement in violent confrontations with the public can design interventions that reduce violence in a community. The Oakland model presupposes that organizational reform activity can simultaneously increase organizational effectiveness and enhance personal problemsolving capacities. As officers help shape a more responsive police agency, they engage in activities, such as analyzing data and evolving data-based solutions, that refine their skills and build their morale. Fifteen footnotes are included. For related articles, see NCJ 75304. (Author abstract modified)