THE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN PUBLIC EXPECTATIONS AND POLICE PERFORMANCE LARGELY CONCERNS THE PRECISE ROLE OF POLICE WITHIN THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE. NEARLY ALL POLICE SYSTEMS SHARE ORGANIZATION, ADMINISTRATION, AND PRACTICE PATTERNS WHICH AFFECT THE LEVEL AND QUALITY OF THEIR ACTIVITIES. COMMON FEATURES AND PROBLEMS RELATE TO PERSONNEL RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION, WOMEN IN POLICING, TRAINING, AND PERSONNEL UTILIZATION. IN THEORY, EFFECTIVE CRIME PREVENTION AND LAW ENFORCEMENT CANNOT BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT THE PUBLIC'S SUPPORT AND ACTIVE COOPERATION. MANY POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE ENCOURAGING SUCH COOPERATION THROUGH VARIOUS COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAMS. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MEDIA IN FAMILIARIZING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE ROLE OF POLICE IS ACKNOWLEDGED BY MOST PERSONS ASSOCIATED WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT. ETHICAL STANDARDS FOR POLICE INVOLVE PROFESSIONALISM, ACCOUNTABILITY AND CORRUPTION, AND THE DISCRETIONARY USE OF FIREARMS. AN INTERNATIONAL CODE OF POLICE ETHICS HAS BEEN PROPOSED BY THE UN. THE GROWTH OF PRIVATE SECURITY GUARDS AND INVESTIGATORS IS NOTED, AND THE FUTURE ROLE OF POLICE IS EXAMINED. A LAW ENFORCEMENT CODE OF ETHICS AND A LIST OF ETHICAL STANDARDS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE ATTACHED. (DEP)