FOLLOWING AN OVERVIEW OF THE MEDIA STEREOTYPING OF RURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, REASONS WHY GOOD DATA IS HARD TO OBTAIN ARE REVIEWED. RURAL POLICE OFTEN DO NOT HAVE THE TIME TO FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK FOR UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS AND RURAL RESIDENTS TEND TO UNDERREPORT FOR FEAR OF AROUSING THE WRATH OF NEIGHBORS. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION FIGURES FOR 1971 THROUGH 1975 ARE CITED TO SHOW THAT RURAL CRIME IS INCREASING AT A FASTER RATE THAN URBAN CRIME. SOME OF THIS IS ATTRIBUTED TO TOURISTS OR CRIMINALS FROM OUTSIDE THE AREA AND SOME TO RURAL TRUST WHICH LEAVES FARMHOUSES AND CARS UNLOCKED. ARREST FIGURES SHOW HIGH JUVENILE INVOLVEMENT. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF RURAL POLICE OFFICERS ARE THEN EXAMINED. IT IS FOUND THAT THEY TEND TO BE ABOUT 40 YEARS OF AGE, LESS EDUCATED THAN URBAN OFFICERS, AND RECEIVE LESS SALARY THAN URBAN OFFICERS. AGE GETS LOWER AND SALARY AND EDUCATIONAL LEVELS GET HIGHER AS THE SIZE OF THE DEPARTMENT INCREASES. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT RURAL POLICE COME FROM THE IMMEDIATE COMMUNITIES AND REFLECT LOCAL DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS. THE LACK OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO RURAL POLICE IS ALSO EXAMINED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT RURAL DEPARTMENTS HAVE GREAT STRENGTHS. THEY KNOW THEIR COMMUNITIES WELL AND ARE IN TOUCH WITH THE POPULATION, A RAPPORT THAT URBAN AREAS ARE TRYING TO RECAPTURE WITH TEAM POLICING AND OTHER CONCEPTS. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT BLIND CONSOLIDATION AND DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO STATE AGENCIES BE AVOIDED. INSTEAD, SUPPORT SYSTEMS SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO RETAIN THE STRENGTHS OF RURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. TABLES PRESENT THE STATISTICS. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED.