Questionnaires were sent to 162 of the approximately 350 forces with between 3 and 50 members, and 50 percent were returned. Police chiefs felt that they required a management or executive development training program. The majority of police chiefs favored the institution of such a program at the provincial or regional level. Only 41.6 percent of chiefs received the full support of their governing agency in educational endeavors. On over one-half of the cases, support was limited or nonexistent. Opportunities to attend courses were greatest for those offered by police institutes and colleges, and those offered by the Canadian Police College. Many police chiefs viewed the following to be major factors impeding their professional advancement: size of the force made it difficult to replace a chief who was absent due to a course, limited financial assistance, and prohibitive distance to the educational institution. Eighteen tables and six references are provided. (Author summary modified)