Police officers have discretion and autonomy because it is impossible to provide direct supervision, laws do not cover every circumstance, and officers lack the resources to react to every violation that comes to their attention. Factors determining how the police use their discretion include peer pressure, an officer's self-esteem, and community reactions to officer behavior. What the police need to make wise use of their discretion is a means for obtaining information from the community that is not threatening or demeaning to officers. The information should be valid and come from a more representative range of sources than is typically available to the police. Further, the information should be available to those officers who make crucial decisions on the street as well as to police administrators. Much of this information is available from research units either in or out of the police department. The proposed police feedback cycle is intended to provide self-evaluation of performance. An experiment in the use of the police feedback cycle should include (1) selection of a unit with sufficient autonomy, (2) identifying the types of information wanted, (3) using a professional survey organization, (4) checking the research design, (5) working out official sponsorship, (6) analyzing results to achieve specific goals, (7) using the information for change, (8) making a second study, (9) writing a report, and (10) using the second study as the basis for a new cycle. Advantages of the feedback cycle are discussed along with the objections to it. Sixty-five references are listed.