TWO FORUM-INITIATED PROJECTS ARE A 30-DEPARTMENT TEST OF THE STANFORD RESEARCH INSTITUTE'S SOLVABILITY FACTOR DECISION MODEL AND THE CITIZEN COMPONENT OF THE RESPONSE TIME STUDY OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN KANSAS CITY, MO. THE FORUM HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN MANY AREAS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT (INITIATIVES TO CREATE A FEDERAL-LEVEL BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS, TESTIFYING BEFORE CONGRESS, EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE THE IACP TO ADOPT THE MAIL BALLOT AS A WAY OF GIVING THE ASSOCIATION'S MEMBERSHIP A GREATER VOICE, INVOLVEMENT WITH THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES, AND A PUBLICATION ON POLICE ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES AMONG FORUM DEPARTMENTS). PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE ALSO BY A POLICE LEADERSHIP ASSOCIATION KNOWN AS THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF BLACK LAW ENFORCEMENT EXECUTIVES. THE IACP HAS BECOME A NEGATIVE RATHER THAN A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON LARGE POLICE DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE A SMALL NUMBER OF STATE ASSOCIATIONS HAVE FORMED AN EFFECTIVE POLITICAL MACHINE TO MANIPULATE THE PROCESSES OF THE IACP. THE RESULT IS THAT THE NEEDS, FEARS, AND LEVELS OF ATTAINMENT AND EDUCATION OF SMALL POLICE DEPARTMENTS PREDOMINATE IN SETTING THE PRIORITIES AND TONE OF THE IACP. STATISTICS SHOW THAT MOST CRIME AND RELATED PROBLEMS FACED BY POLICE ARE CONCENTRATED IN LARGER JURISDICTIONS. SMALL AND LARGE POLICE DEPARTMENTS SHOULD NOT HAVE AN EQUAL VOICE IN DIRECTING THE COURTS OF THE IACP. THE IACP SHOULD BE RESTRUCTURED TO ENABLE POLICE LEADERSHIP TO DEVELOP A MATURE AND DISCIPLINED POLICE SERVICE IN PRODUCTIVE AND HUMAN WAYS AND TO ALLOW TOP POLICE LEADERS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL TO DIRECT A STRONG AND ACTIVE LEADERSHIP PROCESS THAT IS ABLE TO DEAL WITH SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND POLITICAL PROBLEMS. THE POLICE EXECUTIVE RESEARCH FORUM CAN BE AN EFFECTIVE MECHANISM FOR IMPLEMENTING CHANGE. DATA ON CRIME IN CITIES GROUPED BY POPULATION SIZE ARE TABULATED. (DEP)