Different Forms Of Communication In The Field Of Criminal Justice
There are many forms of communication that people use on a daily basis. This is no different in the field of criminal justice, but their communication styles can save lives and prevents dangerous things from happening to them and other people. There are five types of communication:Job Instruction - Communication relating to the performance of a certain task.
Job Rationale - Communication relating a certain task to organization tasks or goals.
Procedures and Practice - Communication about organizational policies, procedures, rules, and regulationsFeedback - Communication appraising how an individual or group performs the tasks assigned.
Indoctrination - Communication designed to motivate personnel.
Other reasons for communicating downward are opportunities for administration to clarify objectives and goals, gather opinions from employees, to prevent misunderstandings from lack of information, and to prepare employees for change. (McKinney, 2008)Typically when questions start getting asked, they begin at the bottom and the questions go upward. This might mean that a person who is newly hired onto the police force and has a specific question regarding their job and how they are expected to perform it, they will ask their commanding officer. That question may go up to an even higher authority and make its way up to the Chief of Police. …show more content…
When an officer is giving instruction on a job and explaining the tasks involved with it, they will be higher up and needing to explain what each person should do.
In this case the flow would go downward from a superior to a rookie. This instruction may also come horizontally when one officer will understand a procedure better than another officer who is on the same level as him or her and would explain that said procedure to their
associate.
Feedback can come from all sides. People in higher ranking positions will want to know how things in different departments are working because they may not be able to get there and see what is going on first hand. They will then rely on those who work in the smaller departments and find out if things are running smoothly or if certain areas need to be improved. This is very important with criminal justice because patrol officers who are on the streets see things that go on every day. They may be required to handle certain situations in a specific way, and that way may make their job more dangerous and can potentially cause them harm or even death. If their superiors are aware of these situations and receive feedback on how to better the situation, it can help everyone involved, not just the patrol officers.
Motivation of personnel is also important and can come from various levels of policing. People who are new hires can tend to be cheerleader types and really be able to cheer the rest of the department on when it comes to a really tough case. On the other hand, some veterans of the department might be able to assist in motivating the new hires because they become frustrated with the public they are dealing with and then realize that the job is a bit harder than they originally thought it would be. People who work evenly with each other may also be able to help the other one motivate themselves to get through a particularly rough day. This will happen in any job, but especially in law enforcement because of the stress involved each day.
Procedures and regulations will come from higher ups in the department and work their way downward throughout the department. This is important as the veterans know better how the department is meant to be run and can help the rookies learn their way around so that they do not feel lost as many people do when they begin a new job.
These are all important steps to take within a police department and will help the force within run more efficiently and safely. Each person has a job to do and with the right guidance, support and motivation they will be able to achieve what they have set out to do. This will protect each member of the law enforcement team in the event that a dangerous situation confronts them and they will know how to properly handle it and move on.
ReferencesMcKinney, C. (2008, March 28). Communication within a Criminal Justice Organization. The New York Times. Retrieved August 2, 2009 from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/646603/communication_within_a_criminal_justice_pg2.html?cat=17
Job Rationale - Communication relating a certain task to organization tasks or goals.
Procedures and Practice - Communication about organizational policies, procedures, rules, and regulationsFeedback - Communication appraising how an individual or group performs the tasks assigned.
Indoctrination - Communication designed to motivate personnel.
Other reasons for communicating downward are opportunities for administration to clarify objectives and goals, gather opinions from employees, to prevent misunderstandings from lack of information, and to prepare employees for change. (McKinney, 2008)Typically when questions start getting asked, they begin at the bottom and the questions go upward. This might mean that a person who is newly hired onto the police force and has a specific question regarding their job and how they are expected to perform it, they will ask their commanding officer. That question may go up to an even higher authority and make its way up to the Chief of Police. …show more content…
When an officer is giving instruction on a job and explaining the tasks involved with it, they will be higher up and needing to explain what each person should do.
In this case the flow would go downward from a superior to a rookie. This instruction may also come horizontally when one officer will understand a procedure better than another officer who is on the same level as him or her and would explain that said procedure to their
associate.
Feedback can come from all sides. People in higher ranking positions will want to know how things in different departments are working because they may not be able to get there and see what is going on first hand. They will then rely on those who work in the smaller departments and find out if things are running smoothly or if certain areas need to be improved. This is very important with criminal justice because patrol officers who are on the streets see things that go on every day. They may be required to handle certain situations in a specific way, and that way may make their job more dangerous and can potentially cause them harm or even death. If their superiors are aware of these situations and receive feedback on how to better the situation, it can help everyone involved, not just the patrol officers.
Motivation of personnel is also important and can come from various levels of policing. People who are new hires can tend to be cheerleader types and really be able to cheer the rest of the department on when it comes to a really tough case. On the other hand, some veterans of the department might be able to assist in motivating the new hires because they become frustrated with the public they are dealing with and then realize that the job is a bit harder than they originally thought it would be. People who work evenly with each other may also be able to help the other one motivate themselves to get through a particularly rough day. This will happen in any job, but especially in law enforcement because of the stress involved each day.
Procedures and regulations will come from higher ups in the department and work their way downward throughout the department. This is important as the veterans know better how the department is meant to be run and can help the rookies learn their way around so that they do not feel lost as many people do when they begin a new job.
These are all important steps to take within a police department and will help the force within run more efficiently and safely. Each person has a job to do and with the right guidance, support and motivation they will be able to achieve what they have set out to do. This will protect each member of the law enforcement team in the event that a dangerous situation confronts them and they will know how to properly handle it and move on.
ReferencesMcKinney, C. (2008, March 28). Communication within a Criminal Justice Organization. The New York Times. Retrieved August 2, 2009 from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/646603/communication_within_a_criminal_justice_pg2.html?cat=17