THE DISCUSSION FOCUSES ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF POLICE COLLECTIVE-BARGAINING ACTIVITIES IN THE AREAS OF ECONOMICS (SALARIES, OVERTIME PAY, COURT DUTY PAY, ETC.), PERSONNEL ISSUES (ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS, TRAINING AND EDUCATION, RANK), MANPOWER AND EQUIPMENT ALLOCATIONS, AND STATUS ISSUES. IT IS POINTED OUT THAT UNION INROADS INTO MANAGERIAL TERRITORY ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY ANTAGONISTIC TO GENERAL POLICE OBJECTIVES HELD BOTH BY UNIONS AND BY MANAGEMENT. HOWEVER, IN A BROADER SOCIAL CONTEXT, UNION ACTIVITY ACTUALLY HAS INCREASED THE AUTONOMY OF THE POLICE ORGANIZATION AT THE EXPENSE OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY. UNION INFLUENCES ON ISSUES SUCH AS BUDGET DETERMINATION, THE ABILITY OF CITIES TO INCREASE OR DECREASE POLICE MANPOWER, ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS, DISCIPLINARY STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES, WEAPON ALLOCATIONS, AND RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS ILLUSTRATE HOW COLLECTIVE BARGAINING HAS REDUCED POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE PUBLIC. POLICE UNIONS ARE LIKELY TO BECOME INCREASINGLY POLITICAL IN THEIR ACTIVITIES, PERHAPS MONITORING THE SENTENCING DECISIONS OF JUDGES, TRYING TO REDUCE THE JUVENILE STATUS AGE, CREATING TACTICAL PLANS TO DEAL WITH SOCIAL PERMISSIVENESS AND URBAN UNREST, LOBBYING FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, AND INCREASING PARTICIPATION IN CONSERVATIVE 'LAW AND ORDER' POLITICS. POLICE OFFICERS ARE LIKELY TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN INFLUENCING CERTAIN POLITICIANS AND CAN BE EXPECTED TO TRY TO PROTECT THEIR VIEW OF WHAT POLICING ENTAILS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT, WHILE IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THE RIGHT OF RANK-AND-FILE POLICE TO REDUCE MANY MANAGERIAL PREROGATIVES, IT IS ALSO NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND HOW CERTAIN UNION ACTIVITIES CAN RESULT IN LESS POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE PUBLIC. (LKM)