This report reviews the manner in which police handle citizen requests for social services. The focus is on how officers make their decisions--whether they handle such requests themselves, direct them elsewhere in the department, or refer citizens to other agencies. In their assessment of the literature on referral practices, the authors point out the major hypotheses that recur, and the data that supports or contradicts those theories. Their evaluation of the literature highlights several key issues: the clarity and consistency of definitions of police referral, the lack of theoretical constructs and empirical data, and the inadequacy of evaluative criteria. In addition to tracing the history of the police role in providing social services or referring citizens to appropriate agencies, the report also offers suggestions for future research in this area. Also included are abstracts of 80 articles on the subject of referral practices, and a 32-page bibliography. (Author)