Effective Communication In Law Enforcement

To understand how communication can improve within a traditional bureaucratic criminal justice system, one must understand the structure and how communication is dispersed within the respective criminal justice agencies. It is also important to realize that each agency or criminal justice organization has policy and procedures governing how communication is transmitted. (Stojkovic, Stan, Kalinch, David, & Klofas, 2012) Within law enforcement agencies information is passed either up or down the chain of command. Meaning

Formal communication is the channel that usually follows the chain of command. This chain is often ran by formal orders, detectives, and written memorandums. In the police organization these forms provide a sense of order and security. Using excessive or exclusive communications however have certain disadvantages. One disadvantage in strict adherence to formal channels can be both time and personnel consuming. Memorandums must be drafter carefully ad must go through the chain of command for endorsements and then must be forwarded to the correct personnel according to departmental policy. Another disadvantage of formal channels is what effect this can have on free flow of information. Using formal channels will require a written record and many people hesitate to put their thoughts in writing because they are intimidated, afraid of losing their job, etc., which restricts the flow of information. However, using formal communications makes it possible for the officers to receive new directives and information concerning crimes rather quickly. Formal communication is less confusing and establishes a paper trail for legal purposes, if the need arrives (Wallace & Roberson, 2009).

Communication is primarily an exchange of information, ideas, or thoughts. This paper will focus on the process of verbal and nonverbal communication as well as the components of each. It outline the formal and informal channels of criminal channels. This paper will also list the different barriers to effective communication within a criminal justice organization. Finally it will cover strategies that can be implemented to overcome communication barriers within criminal justice organizations.

Managers promote poor communication when it is not planned out correctly, which can cause chaos and friction within the department. Emotions can cause a barrier and result in a communication breakdown. Poor communication is not always at the fault of the manager, poor listening on the staff’s part can

This was a very short semester, but I did learn quite a few things. The chapters I was more interested on were 4-6. Chapter 4 dealt with communication skills which are a very important aspect in Law Enforcement without it we would be lost. Communication is the simple process of which information is transferred from one person to another. (Hess & Orthmann, 2012, pg. 103) Some people excel at it because they were born being very sociable, others have a hard time trying to get that message to others. Practice can fix this problem over time, so there won’t be any barriers or problems getting that message send in time to get the proper help fast. Next it was Chapter 5 this chapter described all the decision-making strategies, and problem-solving

Effective communication is essential in any workplace, especially within a criminal justice organization. In this paper, the author will discuss the process of verbal and nonverbal communication and the associated components of each, the differences between listening and hearing in communication, the formal and informal channels of communication in criminal justice organizations and the strategies that may be implemented to overcome communication barriers therein.

Communication issues are also a challenge for criminal justice agencies. There are two communication barriers one is individual and the other is organizational. Individual communication issues are that a person’s own interpretation of a message may not be what is meant. An organization’s culture can be a barrier in communicating with another organization. The court system, police and corrections have different jargon that is used within their culture. This sometimes makes communication difficult between the organizations as well as with the public. To handle these challenges a leader must be an affective communicator (Duelin, 2010).

Communication is a vital tool in our society today because police officers could not serve the public effectively without good communication skills. A lack of the ability to listen or to speak effectively could result in a misunderstanding. Communication plays a very important role in the lives and jobs of police officers. Communication allows officers the ability to better manage evidence by interrogating witnesses and suspects and gathering information. This allows them to make quick and informed decisions. Police officers can only succeed if they master communication, both social and professional, so that they can be comfortable with the public and get their jobs done behind the scenes.

In the performance of their internal and external roles, police executives make numerous decisions and handle all kinds of problems. Executives vary on a number of matters, including how they allocate their time and the relative importance they attach to internal and external responsibilities. Police executive behavior can take many forms (Cordner, 2016.)

Interpersonal relationships, dealing and working under stressful conditions, proficient in MSWord, Outlook, ATS, Enforce and other proprietary software used in law enforcement, working as a team member or independently to carry out set goals, researching and interpreting complex laws, regulations, policies, and multi-tasking.

Line-level law enforcement officers, investigators supervisors, and police executives are more educated and sophisticated with technology in their arsenal to enhance job performance. Despite having better education, training, equipment, access to specialized resources, and information, law enforcement agencies struggle with sharing power with their workforce. The result of this failure to modernize leaves law enforcement officers going through the motions and working at less than maximum efficiency.

Since its inception, policing has changed in scope and strategy with an emphasis on improving and adopting best practices. From departmental policies to tactics, diversity, and technology, the evolution of policing continues to mature. A critical aspect of this progression has been the structure and support of a department’s internal affairs department. This along with the selection of qualified and resourceful leaders promotes the best opportunity for organizational growth. I have been a law enforcement officer for the past 14 years. I began my career in a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania suburb with the Lower Merion Township Police Department. For the last 11 years as a Trooper, I have been fortunate to have contributed to a variety of assignments.

All organizations, especially law enforcement agencies, require leadership. Maintaining a dependable leadership structure is key to the success of any organization. The philosophy of the modern style of police leadership involves a leader who is strong, competitive and unreceptive to change. Police leadership is based from an autocratic style which is founded on integrity and courage, embracing teamwork, involvement and shared leadership (Cordner & Scarborough, 2010). This style of leadership works well in an emergency situation in which rapid decision making and strict control is needed. The negative aspect to this style of leadership is the inability of the organization to function with the absence of leadership.

Law enforcement is a profession with many hats. From being the beat cop to school resource officer to mental health and marriage counselor, a great amount of time is spent communicating with people. Whether speaking to a group of students about career paths or talking to a distraught individual that is about to jump off a bridge, good communicators are able to relate to their audience in a way that has a profound impact on the lives of those they encountered. Accordingly, being able to effectively communicate and connect with others is an essential skill in every aspect of law enforcement (Fitch, 2016). However, law enforcement is not the glamourous profession as portrayed in television or on the big screen. In reality, it is a profession with many stressors, such as workloads, kids, bills, relationships and more. Together, these stressors exacerbate the thought process, triggering emotional responses, leading to a communication breakdown. Law enforcement is a profession with many hats, except one, a self-correcting hat to process thoughts and control emotion in high-stress situations.

This is an excerpt from an investigation I wrote for Comuniclab, the web magazine of the University of Rome “La Sapienza”. The work has been featured in several magazines.