The study examined the reactions of victims to the crimes they had suffered, identified their needs as a consequence and the expectations they had as a result of their involving the police. Data were obtained by document examination and two field instruments: an attitudinal questionnaire administered to front line officers and a schedule of questions for structured interviews with victims. A total of 120 victims were interviewed. Of the crimes they had suffered, 34 percent were burglary dwellings, 37.5 percent were other burglary, and the remainder had suffered vehicle crime. The study data indicate that the institutionalized practices of police organization do not always adequately meet the needs of crime victims. Furthermore, the research indicates institutional rather than 'service' shortcomings, for individual officers relate more appropriately in the victim's eyes to their environment than do the bureaucratic requirements of the force. Implications are that citizen satisfaction and response times should not be used as measures of organizational effectiveness. A total of 34 references and 9 notes are provided.