Adopted in 1968, the program originally provided a basic level of funding to enable all local jurisdictions to maintain the same per capita level of funding for police services. Since the program's establishment, it has undergone seven changes, most of which have added layers of grants rather than changing the underlying formula. The aid rises and falls with population increases and decreases, a fact that has caused special problems for Baltimore City, which has lost population while needing more aid. The State's General Assembly has twice tried to address this problem, but the grants to Baltimore City will decline in the late 1980's if the program is not changed again. Despite the complexity of the formula, the aid is distributed mainly on a per capita basis. The greatest total amount of aid goes to the subdivisions with the highest police expenditures, with rural subdivisions receiving the highest percentage of police expenditures from State aid. Increasing levels of police aid have not necessarily assured an increase in total expenditures for police services. At least four methods are available for preventing a drop in the allocation to Baltimore City. Data tables are included.