THE VICTORIAN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES ACT WAS PASSED IN 1977 TO PROMOTE EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN AND TO PREVENT DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF SEX AND MARITAL STATUS. TO EVALUATE THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE POLICE FORCE, A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO EXPLORE THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF THE SO-CALLED TRADITIONAL WELFARE ROLE OF WOMEN; TO EXAMINE THE INCIDENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN, WOMEN, FAMILIES, AND OTHERS COMING INTO CONTACT WITH POLICEWOMEN; AND TO ASSESS THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN POLICEWOMEN, AND STATUTORY AND NONSTATUTORY SOCIAL WELFARE AGENCIES. POLICEWOMEN WERE INTERVIEWED TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR ROLES AND GOALS. CONTACT WITH CLIENTS AND WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS WAS KEPT TO A MINIMUM. INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE POLICING PRACTICES WERE ONLY EXAMINED IF THEY WERE DESCRIBED IN THE RECORDS OF POLICEWOMEN. DURING 1976, A TOTAL OF 6,905 INTERVENTIONS BY POLICE IN GENERAL WERE RECORDED THAT INVOLVED 2,300 CASES HANDLED BY POLICEWOMEN. TYPES OF INTERVENTIONS MADE BY POLICEWOMEN WERE CASES WHERE THE BEHAVIOR OF A PRIME CLIENT WAS A FUNDAMENTAL PRECIPITATING FACTOR IN THE INTERVENTION, INTERVENTIONS INVOLVING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS, INTERVIEWING AND TAKING STATEMENTS FROM VICTIMS AND WITNESSES, INTERVENTIONS INVOLVING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS AND LISTENING TO UNSPECIFIED COMPLAINTS, INTERVENTIONS INITIATED BY POLICEWOMEN, AND INVESTIGATING THE WELFARE OF FAMILIES. SPECIAL TRAINING FOR POLICEWOMEN RECRUITS IN WELFARE TASKS WAS NOT EXTENSIVE. DECISIONS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS ARE CRUCIAL WITH REGARD TO THE SPECIALIZED ROLE OF POLICE WOMEN: REQUESTS FOR INTERVENTION, AND TYPES OF ACTION TAKEN. THERE IS A NEED TO DEVISE MORE EXPLICIT POLICY AND OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES TO ARTICULATE FORMALLY THE SCOPE OF THE WELFARE ROLE OF POLICEWOMEN AND TO INSURE THAT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN POLICEWOMEN AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE POLICE FORCE ARE CLEAR. APPENDIXES CONTAIN THE RESEARCH DESIGN AND PROCESS, FICTITIOUS SAMPLE CASE BOOK ENTRIES, AND A LIST OF POLICEWOMEN DUTIES. A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SUPPORTING DATA ARE PROVIDED. (DEP)