Training policies in England are influenced by the practice of appointing all chief officers from the ranks. The commissioner or chief constable of each of the 43 police forces in England and Wales is responsible for recruiting and managing all employees, although the Government does provide certain training facilities. Recruitment criteria which emphasize character, commonsense, and physical attributes rather than education are outlined, as are promotion examinations and specialist training. A detailed review of the Command Course which all officers reaching the rank of superintendent are expected to attend covers the curriculum and objectives. A scholarship program permits officers who have shown the right potential for police and academic work during intermediate training courses to take university degrees in subjects of their own choice. Promotion to the highest levels does not depend on examination but appointment. The French police are a wholly nationalized system composed of the national police and the civil police. The five levels at which the national police may be entered are idenified. Competitive examinations are required and persons applying for the highest rank must also have a university degree. Training programs for officers, inspectors, and others are detailed. The higher training programs in France must cope with the direct entrant and the serving officer, while the English system deals with individuals who have proved their abilities in the field. Other comparisons consider the grading methods and in - service training programs. The French system of lateral entry from the outside has resulted in a higher level of education than can be found in the English police, although the situation appears to be changing in England. Opportunities for police to obtain college degrees are much greater in the United States than in England or France. However, the centralized command training and executive development programs in Europe are excellent and should be considered for the United States. The paper includes eight footnotes.