IN RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY CONCERNS ABOUT CRIME, A COMMUNITY-BASED PREVENTIVE POLICING EXPERIMENT WAS BEGUN IN A DEPRIVED, HIGH-CRIME AREA OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND. THE AREA WAS DIVIDED INTO TWO UNITS, EACH OF WHICH WAS SUBDIVIDED TO FORM TWO PATROL BEATS. THE SECTION IS POLICED BY CONSTABLES WORKING UNDER ONE INSPECTOR WITH A SERGEANT AS DEPUTY. EACH OF THE FOUR PATROL BEATS IN THE SECTION IS POLICED BY EIGHT CONSTABLES, WHO PROVIDE FOOT PATROL COVER FOR 6 HOURS AT NIGHT AND MAINTAIN PATROL-CAR COVERAGE FOR 24 HOURS A DAY. THE EIGHT CONSTABLES OPERATE AS A TEAM, WHICH HAS BEEN INSTRUCTED AND TRAINED TO INTERACT WITH COMMUNITY RESIDENTS TO IDENTIFY COMMUNITY PROBLEMS AND ADVISE CITIZENS ABOUT CRIME PREVENTION MEASURES. THE EXPERIMENT BEGAN IN SEPTEMBER 1976, AND EVALUATION IS STILL IN PROCESS. POLICE EFFECTIVENESS IS BEING MEASURED AS THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE OBJECTIVE OF THE EXPERIMENT IS REALIZED. THE EVALUATION MEASUREMENT IS BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE. THE QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENT COMPARES CRIME STATISTICS, INCIDENTS RELATED TO PUBLIC ORDER, AND COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE POLICE IN THE EXPERIMENTAL AREA WITH THOSE IN THE REMAINDER OF THE DIVISION AND IN THE FORCE AREA. THE QUALITATIVE MEASUREMENT CONSISTS OF INTERVIEWS WITH THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS: THOSE CURRENTLY WORKING IN THE AREA WITH PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN POLICING, THOSE WITH NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN THE AREA, THE INSPECTOR IN CHARGE OF THE AREA, HIS SUPERIORS IN THE DIVISION, AND RESPRESENTATIVES OF PARTICIPATING POLICE OFFICERS. INFORMATION GAINED THROUGH THE POLICE INTERVIEWS WILL BE EVALUATED WITH THE INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM CERTAIN KEY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, ALONG WITH A RANDOM SAMPLE OF FAMILIES IN THE AREA. NO REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)