Why it is important to have effective communication in Law Enforcement?
Effective communication is defined by Webster as a reciprocal sharing of information and ideas of written, oral and non-verbal information according to a common set of rules. Law Enforcements primary objective is to serve and to protect the community in which they serve. Effective communication in Law Enforcement is important so that the Officer understands what is going on in a situation and that the Officer is understood. An Officer can not serve his community without building a relationship with the members of the community and the only way to build a relationship is to communicate. Officers must be able to communicate verbally and non-verbally so that their thoughts, ideas, attitudes, and feelings are received in a positive manner. Communication is a two-way street what a person says and how they say it affects how the other person receives it and how they communicate in return.
There are several ineffective communication elements that may cause problems for Law Enforcement such as if the Officer is indirect and they don’t get their point across or they may be unresponsive and the person may feel as though the officer has very little interest in their situation. If the Officer is too passive they maybe taken advantage of and if they are too aggressive the other person might retaliate. Also communication could be lost if the Officer’s message is not directly stated or if their message is obscured. Law Enforcement must use effective communication to make sure that the other persons responses and needs are not misunderstood or misinterpreted.
Law Enforcement may be asked to use effective communication to resolve interpersonal conflict such as domestic disputes. Law enforcement ...