Effective Communication In Law Enforcement

Good communication skills are the key to being successful in life and it is a very important skill to have when you work in the criminal justice system. Without effective communication in law enforcement, a simple conversation can be misunderstood, the receiver can become frustrated or agitated and or a peaceful conversation/situation can become a bad one. Communication can be relayed verbally or nonverbally. However, being able to effectively communicate with both can make your profession in law enforcement a successful one.

Communication is the process by which we exchange information between individuals or groups of people. It is a process where we try as clearly and accurately as we can, to convey our thoughts, intentions and

When you actively watch a person’s body language, it can help you detect deception from a suspect. A persons hand, feet or eye movement can assist you in determining if a suspect is lying or being untruthful. Also, the way a person moves or walks can communicate whether they are happy or mad. When it comes to effectively listening, you should always be an active listener. It is not easy to do so because we are always having something going on in our lives, but being a passive listener with a suspect can hurt an investigation, especially if you miss out on some important details or information pertaining to a case. For instance, a crisis negotiator needs to enhance his/her active listening skills when trying to speak to a suspect to gain their trust and come to a peaceful

These barriers can affect investigations, interrogations and court proceedings. A person’s body language, their stress levels and their emotions can deter effective communication between individuals; these barriers are present every day in the criminal justice system. These barriers are present with law enforcement officers and their superiors as well as between an officer and a criminal/suspect/witness. In order to overcome some of these barriers, some if not most, law enforcement officers undergo some type of communications training. This training can help them tear down those communication barriers by trying to remain calm, be an active listener, gauge a person’s stress level and know when a situation will take a turn for the worse. Also, officers need to take personal responsibility to hone in their communicating skills by trying to change the way the feel about witnesses/suspects/victims and even their coworkers. This can break down those barriers, build a relationship with them and help them with effective communication. If they are in a courtroom environment, they can ask the communicator to speak clearly, be a bit more specific in their questions/statements or to even speak slowly. Some individuals will put up barriers because the person who is talking will use a lot of jargon or give them information