Police-chief candidates who have come up through the ranks and are being offered their first opportunity to be a chief rarely negotiate with the mayor regarding the authority of the office. The candidate should recognize, however, that the job of chief is inherently political because every chief executive wants an effective police department. Therefore, the candidate must determine the parameters of authority given the chief within the city's political structure. The candidate should require that certain conditions be met before considering the job: The chief should be the primary personnel administrator for the department, have ultimate control over the discipline of officers, and should not be expected to support political candidates. Issues which warrant some flexibility are the authority to use resources to the best advantage, control over media relations, and access to an inhouse legal adviser. Negotiable issues include some guarantee of tenure, perhaps a 3 to 5-year contract; the chief's role in municipal policymaking indirectly related to law enforcement; and the mayor's role in guiding the chief's deployment of personnel and the organization of the department. Eight notes are provided.