Local government officials, police administrators, and members of a community coalition can use this assessment model to examine the perceptions and characteristics of both the police department and the community that define their existing relationship. The assessment process can help representatives from community-based organizations and other local institutions translate their concerns about crime into active partnerships with the police to improve neighborhood safety. The assessment can also be used as a first step in healing a police-community relationship that has become strained by mistrust and misunderstanding. For police administrators, the assessment can serve as a planning tool for departments preparing to implement community policing. The monograph draws on the experience of the Carlisle Education Center in working with diverse coalitions from many different kinds of communities. It presents a "blueprint" for mobilizing a task force that can undertake the assessment project. It outlines a plan for dividing a complex task into manageable assignments that can be implemented by teams of police and community representatives. It supplies useful background information on each research topic, as well as tips on collecting, analyzing, and interpreting the findings. The monograph also includes a research guide for assessment that lists an inventory of key community and departmental characteristics. This checklist is a tool to identify sources of conflict, suggest targets for new programs, and provide markers to measure future change and program effectiveness. 8 figures and 34 notes