Importance of Formal and Informal Communication in Law Enforcement

Importance of Formal and Informal Communication in Law Enforcement

In law enforcement, effective communication is critical. The passing of important and timely information could be the difference between dangerous offenders getting away with a crime or even more serious, an officer being placed in a life or death situation. Like many other agencies or organizations in the criminal justice system, law enforcement agencies utilize formal and informal communication channels to move information throughout the department. This information can travel in several different ways within an organization, however the three most common directions are: downward, upward and horizontal (cite) (Grubb & Hemby 2003).

In law enforcement, most of the communication concerning the affairs of the department flow through formal channels. Since law enforcement agencies are bureaucratic, communication from the chief generally flows downward within the agency to all levels of the department through a chain of command and upwards back to the chief through the same command chain.(cite) (Lord & Cowan 2011). Most of the information transferred through this channel is usually in the form official orders, directives, and written memorandums. (cite) Because of the structure of this communication channel, the exchange of information can be slow and time consuming. This can often be a hindrance to an agency if the timeliness of the information is important.

The Informal channel or what is commonly referred to as the “Grapevine”, is where information flows between lower ranking officers through casual conversations, e-mails, text messages or phone calls. (cite) This channel of communication is often used to pass information like policy or procedure changes, area assignments, wanted information or crime reports from supervisors to subordinates. This communication channel is considered unofficial and is normally not supported by the command staff. This channel is usually where...