Communication in the law and safety field

Communication in the Law and Safety Field.
Your name
Institution
Date (optional).
In a recent couple of years, there have been no other issues in the law enforcement and safety field that has drawn more concern, controversy, and attention than the issue of public safety interoperability and communication. Technology has transformed the law enforcement and safety field and their operations in fundamental respects. These technologies are playing an important role in the daily functioning of these fields such as equipping frontline police officers with investigative and enforcement tools that give them an edge in their operation and make them more efficient. Accordingly, fast, simple, reliable and precise communication is a crucial factor in the law enforcement and safety field’s ability to respond to all types of situation in an efficient, and timely fashion.
First, security and law enforcement field are constantly challenged with emergency situations that need a quick response. Often, it is in such situations that the importance of swift and reliable communication becomes apparent. A perfect example, according to Greg Browning, the Juneau Police Department Team, is the 9/11 terror attack. Greg stated that one of the concerning issue that came out after the attack was the poor communication between states, federal, county and local agencies; the information about the attack was out there, but it was not timely and effectively communicated to the places that it was needed (Stolpe, 2011).

If this information were to be delivered in a timely and efficient manner, many lives would have been saved in the 9/11 terror attack. Following this tragedy, the safety and law enforcement field has undergone a lot of changes to ensure that communication between agencies, as well as to the forefront officers are quick, efficient and reliable. As a result, there has been a substantial improvement in the safety and law enforcement response time and interagency communication.
Secondly, communication is crucial in improving reporting and analysis of problems such as crime. It would be tragic if a bank is being robbed and the bank’s security officer notices this but is unable to report it to the law enforcement department due to frequency problems; it would even be more tragic if there has been a fire outbreak in a building, but there is no fast, simple and efficient way to communicate this information to the fire department. Communication is also critical as a tool for ensuring the safety of safety workers. Recently, there have been incidences of security guards being seriously injured and even killed in their line of duty. An example is a case of the office who was shot and killed during a robbery at an Australian shopping center (Simoco Group, 2015). One of the reasons that contributed to his death was inadequate communication equipment. He was not provided with a radio but had to rely on his mobile phone for communication that is often slow and unreliable in certain emergency situations. All in all, regardless of the incident’s severity, it is clear that communication in important is important in ensuring the safety of security workers.
Lastly, one of the qualities of an effective law and security officer and the department as a whole is good communication skills. This is particularly evident in the law enforcement field that requires officers to use restraint and force only as a last resort. Consequently, the most effective law enforcement professionals are the ones that can settle matters and enforce the law without employing force. This strategy also goes a long way in creating a good relationship with the community as people will view police with a positive perspective.
In conclusion, it is apparent that effective communication is critical in the law enforcement and safety field and affects their ability to respond to all types of situation in an efficient, and timely fashion. Accordingly, the federal, county and local agencies should strive to ensure that communication is top notch.

References.
Simoco Group. (2015, February 26). Communication is critical for security guard safety – Simoco Group Blog. Retrieved November 16, 2015, from http://www.simocogroup.com/blog/communication-is-critical-for-security-guard-safety/
Stolpe, K. (2011). Public safety officials say communication is the biggest change since the attacks. Retrieved November 16, 2015, from http://juneauempire.com/local/2011-09-11/public-safety-officials-say-communication-biggest-change-attacks