By the mid-1960's, Congress increasingly used grants-in-aid to exert substantial policy control over State and local functions. The LEAA program and the Safe Street Act of 1968 were created in this context, both as a result of the explosion in grant programs and as a reaction to crime rate increases. While crime did not decrease during the LEAA's tenure and much money was wasted on routine expenditures, the program did help State and local governments make better use of their limited criminal justice resources. It also funded many successful demonstrations, such as the Career Criminal Program, and led to the creation of a network of State and local planning agencies which evolved into technical assistance and coordinating bodies. Standards of the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations suggest that a Federal assistance program for criminal justice should exist only if there is a strong national consensus in favor of such a program, if it can effectively help State and local governments deliver services to their constituencies, and if the Federal role does not impede State and local activities. The essential elements of this Federal role include maintaining and expanding information systems, developing and testing new programs, and providing limited financial assistance to jurisdictions to implement such new programs. Another important aspect of the Federal role may be response to national emergencies, such as riots and crime problems of epidemic proportions. Finally, the Federal Government should focus its resources on serious and violent offenders and improve coordination of Federal, State, and local criminal justice efforts. The paper contains 91 footnotes.