Communications in Police Agencies

Communications Paper

Team A

Anita Collins, Leo Martinez, Raymond Romero, Gabe Sanchez

CJA/444

June 09, 2014

Mr. Aaron Minor

Introduction

This paper will discuss the communication process and the strengths and weakness that are associated with good and bad communication. It will also take a closer look into different channels of communication, such as formal and informal lines of communication. This paper will discuss power sources of leadership and breakdown the relationship between power sources and the communication process.

The Communication Process

In law enforcement it is imperative that officers communicate effectively to each other so that everyone understands the task at hand. “Communication must include both the transfer and the understanding of meaning” (Robbins & Judge, 2013, Chapter 11). . The communication process can be broken down into several functions that represent communication. For example, control, motivation, emotional expression and information all play an important role in communication. In a group environment there is always structure in the group where an individual takes charge of the group and communication rules and regulations for the group to follow. This represents a form of control over the group, which allows downward communication. Motivation plays an important role in the communication process, when specific goals that are job related are established and fulfilled, it allows for an individuals motivation to rise and have a sense of accomplishment. Emotional expressions help to assist in fulfilling an individual’s social need by having social interaction with their fellow co-workers, which allows everyone to communicate both short comings and successes in the workplace. This allows co-workers to openly communicate with each other information in an environment, which can help relieve stress that can be caused in the workplace by communicating to their peers. Finally information...