THE MILITARY MODEL IS WELL SUITED TO DECENTRALIZING DECISIONMAKING AND EMPLOYS STRICT CONTROLS AGAINST THE UNAUTHORIZED USE OF DISCRETION. IN TRADITIONAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS, AS IN THE ARMY, AUTHORITY IS BASED ON RANK. ACCOUNTABILITY IS THROUGH THE CHAIN OF COMMAND, MEMBERS ARE ISOLATED FROM SOCIETY, AND THE COMPLIANCE SYSTEM HAS STRONG COERCIVE ASPECTS. ON TWO SEPARATE ACCOUNTS, THE MILITARY MODEL IS INAPPROPRIATE FOR POLICE WORK, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO THE HUMAN SERVICE FUNCTIONS OF POLICE. AS AN ANALYTIC DEVICE FOR DESCRIBING COMMUNICATION AND TASK STRUCTURES OF AN ORGANIZATION, IT OBSCURES THE ACTUAL FLOW OF COMMUNICATION AND DECISIONS IN POLICE WORK. AS A PRESCRIPTIVE DEVICE FOR STATING HOW POLICE WORK OUGHT TO BE CONDUCTED, IT REINFORCES, EMPHASIZES, AND LEGITIMATES COERCIVE ASPECTS OF POLICE WORK AND CASTS CITIZENS INTO THE ROLE OF ENEMY. AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE MILITARY MODEL IS THE HOSPITAL MODEL. FOUR MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE HOSPITAL MODEL FOR POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE MASTERY OF A BODY OF KNOWLEDGE AS A PREREQUISITE FOR PRACTICING THE POLICE PROFESSION, HIGH INTRINSIC JOB REWARDS, TRUST BETWEEN PRACTITIONERS AND CLIENTS, AND PEER ACCOUNTABILITY. IT IS CONCLUDED, DRAWING UPON THE CONTINGENCY THEORY OF ORGANIZATION, THAT THE HOSPITAL MODEL IS APPROPRIATE FOR RESTRUCTURING POLICE SERVICES. THE PROCESS OF CHANGE IMPLEMENTED BY A COSMOPOLITAN POLICE MANAGER IN A TROY, N.Y., NIGHT WATCHMEN DEPARTMENT IS DESCRIBED, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DEPARTMENT'S PERFORMANCE ARE NOTED. SUPPORTING DATA ON POLICE PATROL, OFFICERS WORKING ALONE VERSUS OFFICERS WORKING IN PAIRS, AND RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES AND REPORTED CRIME IN THE CITY OF TROY ARE PROVIDED. (DEP)