Cross-Cultural Communication In Law Enforcement Essay

Cross-Cultural Communication in Law Enforcement

Inside law enforcement agencies, all peace officers have or will encounter communication complications within their communities dealing with diverse cultures. It is due to the nature of the job. On a daily basis, peace officers encounter people from a wide variety of ethnic groups who have different attitudes and preconceptions on law enforcement. The best officers are able to accurately recognize cultures who represent their community and communicate with them at the best of their knowledge. To communicate with specific cultures, you must be able to define what culture is. Officers must take into consideration of people’s “beliefs, values, patterns of thinking, behavior and everyday customs that have been passed on from generation to generation.” This shapes how people understand the world. Culturally diverse officers tend to show less physical

Unfortunately, the mass majority of officers are not bilingual. So unless these officers intend to ignore who they come into contact with, they better find a way to communicate with them. In some Hispanic communities, it is completely normal to not call the cops for nearly any situation. The culture that raised them taught them that all law enforcement is corrupt and to fear it. If deportation is a factor for some people, then you'll never hear a helpful word from them. Some Hispanics are fearful of helping police because of possible deportations. This preconception is not necessarily ideal for the officer, but it is a common issue in southern communities in the mid-west. In order to help change these perspectives, officers must show they are here to help and show concern on the issues that the community faces. Officers who only talk to people to investigate a crime, interrogate, or arrest them creates more of a fear for the