Using a survey form, 172 students were asked to indicate the amount of time by percent they believed a police patrol officer spends in the areas of criminal investigation and arrest, resolving family disputes, helping citizens with other problems, writing reports, and 'other' responsibilities. They were also asked to indicate the amount of time they would prefer to spend in these five areas should they be police officers. The data indicates that the students, even at the early stages of their education, were aware that police patrol work is not dominated by crime-fighting activities; however, there was a tendency for first-year students to perceive the police role as more related to crime fighting than did the senior students. The students would prefer to have the police assume a more active crime-fighting orientation, especially at the expense of bureaucratic activities. Despite the discrepancy between what the students perceive to be the aspects of police patrol work and what they would prefer them to be, they are apparently willing to accept the responsibilities of police work. Tabular data and three references are provided.