FROM SEPTEMBER 1975 THROUGH APRIL 1976, 26 WHITE AND 16 BLACK FEMALE OFFICERS SERVING ON PATROL IN THE CITY WERE ASKED TO EXPLAIN WHY THEY HAD JOINED THE FORCE. OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS ALLOWED FOR SPONTANEOUS EXPRESSION; HOWEVER, IF AN OFFICER DID NOT MENTION A SUBJECT--SUCH AS RELATIVES IN POLICE WORK--A SPECIFIC QUESTION PROBED THE AREA. AS WAS THE CASE FOR MALE OFFICERS, THE ADVANTAGES OF A CIVIL SERVICE JOB PROVIDED THE MAJOR ATTRACTION FOR FEMALE OFFICERS, 23 OF WHOM WERE ATTRACTED BY SALARY OR JOB SECURITY. APPROXIMATELY ONE-FOURTH DISPLAYED AN ORIENTATION TOWARD POLICE WORK, FOUR MENTIONED A LIFELONG INTEREST IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND SIX, A CONCERN FOR HELPING OTHERS. THE APPEAL OF INTERESTING, NONROUTINE WORK WAS CITED BY FIVE RESPONDENTS; HOWEVER, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT POLICE WORK PER SE WAS NOT INDICATED. THREE OFFICERS WERE INFLUENCED PRIMARILY BY FAMILY MEMBERS. ALTHOUGH THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE LIMITS GENERALIZATION, THE DATA SUGGEST THAT MOTIVATION FOR CAREER SELECTION IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR POLICE DEPARTMENTS. NOT ONLY WILL MALE-ORIENTED RECRUITING MATERIAL THAT DETERS WOMEN FROM APPLYING HAVE TO BE ALTERED, BUT AN AGGRESSIVE RECRUITING PROGRAM WILL HAVE TO CONSIDER WHAT ATTRACTS WOMEN TO POLICING. RECOGNIZING THAT A MAJORITY OF CANDIDATES ARE ATTRACTED BY CIVIL SERVICE ADVANTAGES, DEPARTMENTS SHOULD STRESS CIVIL SERVICE BENEFITS, PARTICULARLY HIGH SALARY. ALSO, SINCE NEARLY HALF THE RESPONDENTS WERE ATTRACTED BY THE VARIETY OF POLICE WORK, RECRUITING MATERIALS SHOULD STRESS THIS FACTOR. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (KBL)