Communication in The Law Enforcement Agency
Abstract
Communication is an essential and key requirement in the law enforcement agency. Good communication skills are required when de-escalating situations, investigating crimes, and building trust with the public. In this regard, the paper has addressed the importance of communication between police officers and the public. Additionally, the key communication strategies that can be used by police officers when serving the public have also been addressed. It is important for officers to be respectful and show empathy when dealing with a traumatic event. Moreover, community policing as a purposive rational model, language barrier, and use of jargon and slang have been discussed as the primary communication barriers. These elements limit the ability of officers to communicate with members of the public.
Communication in The Law Enforcement Agency
Generally, communication can be defined as the process of transmitting cues in either written or verbal form to modify human behavior. In the law enforcement agency, communication ensures that interactions among police officers in a department are made possible. Accordingly, it is based on the interchange of ideas, and in this respect, it focuses on the broad field of human interchange of thoughts, attitudes, and opinions. Based on the nature of their work, police officers do interact and communicate with various people from different backgrounds. Most of these people, mainly the civilians, complain about the communication style adopted by police officers regarding it as rude and arrogant (William, 2019). Therefore, it is crucial for police officers to adjust their communication practices to ensure the effective delivery of their services. Thus, the paper will focus on the importance of communication in the law enforcement agency and effective communication strategies that should be adopted by police officers. Lastly, communication barriers will as well be addressed.
Importance of Communication
Communication plays a significant role in law enforcement agencies. It is a vital tool as it helps police officers to serve the public effectively. Excellent communication skills are crucial because they help officers to manage evidence by interrogating and gathering information from suspects and witnesses. Based on the information collected, the police can then make quick and informed decisions (Bain, Robinson & Conser, 2014). Also, police with good communication approaches are always comfortable when handling and managing the public. Therefore, communication is crucial in ensuring the success of police officers, both socially and professionally.
Similarly, the communication approach used by police is vital in influencing how the public responds to officers. The manner in which police officers listen, speak, write, and focus on an issue has a significant impact on how the public views them. Lack of these vital skills may result in poor understanding of an incident, and an officer at the scene may fail to figure out how to proceed (Bain et al., 2014). As a result, people who need police assistance may end up giving up and losing their trust in law enforcement agencies. It is essential for law enforcement to consider how communication can affect a community’s perception and reaction. Therefore, good communication is vital in making the work of police officers easy.
Moreover, communication is important for de-escalation. Ever since the police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, and other high-profile incidents in the United States, law enforcement agencies have focused on enhancing communication as a way of de-escalating the severe tension, mistrust, and anxiety that exists between the public and police officers (Bain et al., 2014). Therefore, the use of effective communication skills helps to minimize the force between the public and the police.
Effective Communication Strategies
The information that police officers use to help citizens often come from other members of the public. A good officer knows how to communicate effectively to solve a problem. Some of the effective communication strategies include:
Show Respect
Showing respect to the public can be considered to be the most useful approach in areas with high crime rates. Gang members are often willing to share crucial information with officers who show them respect. Access to information is limited when officers verbally belittle the suspects. Citizens tend to respond in a positive way to respectful behavior than to the use of force (Laurier, 2016). The level of respect displayed by a police officer when communicating has a direct impact on the cooperation of the public.
Start Friendly
An on-scene police officer should always set a friendly tone for any incident. Starting friendly makes it easier for the public to share information regarding the situation. When an officer attends to a problem in an overpowering manner, he or she loses the ability to engage the public (Laurier, 2016). Therefore, officers must pay close attention to gestures and body language of the people they come into contact with during incidents.
Show Empathy
Showing empathy to affected citizens and victims is another important strategy for effective communication. Police officers are usually well trained to handle traumatic events (Laurier, 2016). Selecting appropriate words helps officers to communicate effectively, thus giving empathetic treatment to the community.
Communication Barriers
Police officers encounter several communication barriers in their day-to-day activities. These communication problems limit the success of community policing and crime prevention. The common communication barriers include:
Community Policing as a Purposive Rational Model
Poor communication between police officers and the public tend to arise from the continued use of scientific models to solve problems. The scientific methods influence policing by emphasizing on functional and technical reasoning. Currently, community policing has shifted to the purposive rational model, which is characterized by the use of technical reasoning to solve social problems (Schneider, 2016). Therefore, the emphasis on technical solutions to social problems has contributed to the inability of police officers to communicate and engage the public in crime prevention.
Language and Cultural Barriers
Most of the poorest neighborhoods in the United States are made up of members of ethnic and racial minority groups, many of whom are immigrants. The police face difficulties communicating with the immigrants who may not be able to communicate with them. Most of the residents lack proficiency in English, and the police in law enforcement agencies lack non-English language skills, thus creating an obvious communication barrier (Schneider, 2016).
Use of Jargon or Slang
The use of jargon or slang in the community creates a significant barrier when police officers communicate with the youth. The use of slang makes it difficult to solicit information from the public (Patoko & Yazdanifard, 2014). Also, it is easier for police officers to misunderstand the information. In most law enforcement agencies, young police officers put more effort into mastering the local jargon to overcome the barrier in communication.
In conclusion, communication is the act of transmitting information in a written or verbal form. In the law enforcement agency, communication ensures effective interaction between police officers and the public. Therefore, communication is crucial as it helps police officers to serve the public effectively. Similarly, communication helps to understand the cause of an incident, acquire information, and to de-escalate a situation. For a police officer to communicate effectively, he or she should show respect, be friendly, and also display empathy. Moreover, some of the communication barriers in law enforcement include community policing as a purposive rational model, cultural and language barriers, and the use of jargon and slang.
References
Bain, A., Robinson, B.K., & Conser, J. (2014). Perceptions of policing: Improving communication in local communities. International Journal of Police Science & Management, 16(4), 267-278. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269985500_Perceptions_of_Policing_Improving_Communication_in_Local_Communities
Laurier. (2016). The importance of communication skills for police officers. Retrieved from https://online.wlu.ca/news/2016/08/16/why-earn-ba-policing
Patoko, N., & Yazdanifard, R. (2014). The impact of using many jargon words, while communicating with the organization employees. American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 4, 567-572. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ajibm.2014.410061
Schneider, S. (2016). Overcoming barriers to communication between police and socially disadvantaged neighborhoods: A critical theory of community policing. Crime Law and Social Change, 30(4), 347-377. DOI: 10.1023/A:1008382621747
William, B. (2019). Police need communication skills to be effective leaders in their organizations and communities. Retrieved from http://buytheway.ascjclass.org/police-communication-skills-are-more-important-than-ever/