Communication and Law Enforcement

Communication and Law Enforcement

Introduction

This paper intends to discuss the supervisory issues impacting law enforcement. The main focus of this paper will be on communication within the field of law enforcement. Twenty-first century technology has changed everything; the way people interact, communicate, and live. At their fingertips, individuals have blogs that merge ideas and Web sites that provide portholes to volumes of data. Real-time information on personal conduct and specialized networks of knowledge on any subject readily are available. E-mails transfer information at lightning speed to many people at one time. Smart phones make it all mobile, immediate, and easily accessible. Modern technology has created one community wherein the whole world is interconnected. The purpose of this paper is to make the reader aware about the significance of communication within the arena of law enforcement.

Discussion

Police depend heavily on information and communication. In today's world, youthful offenders communicate, network, socialize, boast, and reveal their conduct on the Web via e-mail, smart phones, and Blackberries. Communication is carried into a new theater of real-time availability and simple methods. Current communication systems require a small investment, but pay tremendous dividends. Today's technology opens huge doors behind which exists valuable information and exemplary methods of communication. Unfortunately, obstacles sometimes prevent law enforcement agencies from stepping through those doors. Regionalization and resource sharing can address some of those barriers, such as budget issues and priorities (Robert, 1984).

Local law enforcement serves as the first line of defense and the best resource for criminal identification, apprehension, prevention, and disruption. In the United States, differences exist between urban and rural policing. However, efforts aim to foster communication by taking proactive measures toward homeland security through suspicious activity reports and identification of trends and criminal behavior patterns possibly linked to terrorist groups and radical domestic hate groups or militias.

With homeland security as a priority, federal agencies rely on their frontline law enforcement partners. When an environment exists that allows all officers to possess knowledge and use it to cooperate, communicate, and coordinate, premier results can develop. Actionable intelligence proves valuable in preventing and disrupting crime. Performance and results are enhanced when law enforcement agencies tailor their focus toward evidence- and intelligence-based operations (Robert, 1984).

This fundamental concept does not always materialize due to gaps between rural and urban law enforcement operations. For example, in large cities, agencies often have roll-call meetings during which supervisors share information and intelligence. ...