The critical model of policing differs from the present concept of police professionalism in its focus on the practitioner as both professional citizen and accountable individual, its concern for the relationship between the professional citizen and those he/she either helps or controls; and by its approach to the nature and direction of society. The critical model views the line officer as having the capacity, skills, and responsibility to perform a service role in the community in addition to law enforcement. In this view, the individual officer becomes more than a functionary and is given analytical and decisionmaking capabilities based on knowledge and skills oriented toward dealing with specific community and citizen problems. Critical professionalism also requires that the police officer not only be aware of the impact of his/her practice on citizens but be willing to advocate social change relevant to police work through participation in the political process. Education that serves police professionalism must develop cooperation between vocational, traditional academic, and inservice training programs, since all have important contributions to make toward professionalism. Advance toward police professionalism will not occur unless there is support within police agencies for individual officers to become more resourceful and innovative in the conduct of their daily policing tasks. There must be strong emphasis on the performance of nonenforcement tasks that deal constructively with citizen and community problems that require the expertise produced by police education, training, and experience. Fourteen references are listed.