It is one thing to go through your law enforcement course and another to step out as a police officer ready to serve the public. One of the skills you need to be able to serve people well is your ability to communicate well. Your understanding of legal codes and procedure is critical but so is the ability to maintain a calm temperament and a mind that analyzes things properly. However, for an effective and safe working environment, these trials must be combined with excellent communication skills especially because the law enforcement tasks involve working with the public who may not always be easy to deal with. It is important for law enforcement officer to grasp the idea of simple, clear and effective communication in their daily endeavors. These skills will come in handy when out in the field where the environment is mostly hostile and unwelcoming. You need to master the skills of radio communication, as this may be the only way that you are saved (The Canadian criminal-justice system, 1978) .
Police communication matters
Most citizens and the public complain that the police are rude and mean in their communication styles. What this does is send a wrong message than what was intended in the first place. The Police need to equip themselves with better communication techniques to be able to gain public trust and have people volunteer in fighting crime. Even with different aspects affecting the communication of police, those who are polite succeed in conveying their concern and as such facilitate assistance and compliance from the public.
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The nature of police work dictates that they communicate with people from different backgrounds. The differences may pose a great challenge but officers need to adjust according to the circumstances that present themselves. It is not always easy to deal with people especially when they have a wrong mindset. It is an important skill for officers to quickly assess the person they are dealing with and understand that they are anxious for being in the said position. Generally, police must have a code-switching technique that allows them to address the public in certain circumstance and then switch to an authoritative mode when the circumstance calls for it. This is the only way that the officers will be able to induce compliance and at the same time represent authority. Any slight miscommunication can be misinterpreted and this could be the start of greater risks.
Communication must be clear
In the justice system, communication occurs either through written or spoken information. This information is passed through directives, memoranda’s and reports just to mention a few (Martínez) . Communication channels brought forth in the justice system can be either formal or informal. When the chain command is followed, which encompasses the use of procedures then this is said to be formal communication. The communication in this case follows and top –downward channel. This relates to issues of policies within the system in most cases where the chief of police is involved form the start. Any information is channeled following the command chain. There is also the horizontal communication, which focused on discussions at the entry level. This can be through personal emails and interactions of officers at the same level.
For the informal communication, which is unofficial communication, it could be filled with a lot of unreliable information. In the justice system however, most of the information is shared in this manner. A communication channel helps set things in motion for the officers to verify the claims that comes to their attention. It is not right to ignore such communication just because it is not formally acceptable. There could be some truth in it just that clarity needs to be found. The thing with this type of information is that it needs to be assimilated and discussed further to actually identify the real message or information. The different formal and informal systems of the justice department need to be assimilated (Martínez) . Officers need to communicate with each other to find details on how best to solve different cases.
Trust in Relationships
It is important to create trust and restore confidence in the justice system. The unfortunate truth is that some people hold a negative attitude towards the justice system especially when it comes to the police. These could be resulting from previous encounters with the police or cultural influences. It is possible for the training sessions to help eliminate the prejudices that exist. The training can help teach officers how to create trust despite the obvious opposition that could be coming from all ends. It is possible to convince a witness to open up without feeling forced. Effective communication can make this a reality.
Listening is key
For an officer to be considered a good expert he or she needs to have excellent listening skills. Apart from being a good skill, it is also something that could save lives if an officer is keen enough. Listening helps an officer determine if the person they are speaking to is reliable or could be the cause of threat. It is also through listening that the officer will be able to decide if a more authoritative move is necessary or if a compassionate approach works. Every case is unique. However, there is a catch to this. The listening should be non-judgmental for it to be helpful. The officer ought’s to give undivided attention if he or she wants to win the trust of the victim. Once the trust has been established in the justice system then it becomes easy to solve most of the problems.
Communicating verbally
There are different scenarios that police officers are in a position where they communicate verbally on a daily basis. The different scenarios require a specific tone. The first situation is when the officer is communicating as a dispatcher; this type of communication that must be clear, to the point and factual at all times. Verbal communication also comes to play when dealing with suspects. In this case, it must be direct and authoritative. The third situation where officers of the law communicate verbally is when dealing with victims. Being the afflicted, it is important to talk to them in a compassionate and soft manner without losing your clarity as an officer. Law enforcement officers are important in both cases. Lastly, a law enforcement officer can communicate verbally with the civilians or public. This could be in the event of witnessing and different interactions in relation to the case. In all the different cases mentioned above active listening is a skill that must be mastered for it to be successful. This will help determine the tone that should be used in any of the circumstances (Wilson, 1963) .
Nonverbal communication
This referred to communication using a part of the body or some form of reaction that does not involve verbal utterances. It is important for law enforcement officers to communicate their authority without uttering a single word. The authority of the police officer is evidenced through the uniform that he or she wears as well as the official police vehicle. However, in order to effectively do all their work, officers must master other nonverbal communication techniques. There are actions that can reinforce this authority such as the right posture and looking someone directly in the eyes. When an officer of the law fails to do all these things, they may end up communicating the wrong message.
Trust is the key issue when law enforcers are dealing with people. People tend not to trust people that are different from them thus affecting their perception. A good example is when the public sees the uniform and badge behind the officer instead of seeing the person in them. It is important for the police to balance their personalities and represent authority while at the same time attracting compliance form the people they serve (Ismail, 2007) . It is possible to achieve this balance with proper communication.
However, police around the world differ in different levels of corruption, power abuse and usage of force when dealing with citizens. These factors may be affecting civilian compliance studies indicate that citizens have varied reasons for why they are not willing to comply with the police. From the interactions, the citizens revealed that police who appeared to be more accommodating and friendly tend to be more trustworthy. Regardless of the offense, that one finds themselves in, it is easy to explain the situation in details depending on how the officer communicates (The Canadian criminal-justice system, 1978) .
Conclusion
It is evident that communication is crucial for the justice department to thrive. There needs to be open channels of communication between officers of the law and civilians and among themselves. The justice system has invested in proper communication channels through official training of their officers. However, it is up to the law enforcers to go an extra mile and communicate with civilians and other people that they are interacting with on a daily basis. The communication must not be verbal or formal alone. Informal communication also works as long as it is very clear (Manning, 1988) .
References
Ismail, J. (2007). A survey of trust and reputation systems for online service provision. Decision support systems, 43 , 618-644.
Manning, F. (1988). Symbolic communication: . Signifying calls and the police response , Vol. 9 MIT press.
Martínez, C. (n.d.). E-Justice in Spain E-Justice in Spain. E-Justice, 98-116. doi:10.4018/978-1-59904-998-4.ch007. E-Justice , 98-116.
The Canadian criminal-justice system. (1978). Journal of Criminal Justice , 378.
Wilson, S. (1963). Police administrationNew Yor. McGraw-Hill. , 68.
