¶ … open communication while resolving public safety concerns. Moreover, it demonstrates the efforts conducted by various agencies in training their personnel to form alliances with local community residents. The primary aim is to initiate quick response in times of emergency.
Public safety agencies should have clear communication with each other to best serve individual citizens. Police departments should formulate governance contracts allowing them to manage, work with, and own communication systems that permit interactions with different agencies in different states (Communication Technologies, 2008).
In 1933, police departments started using radios as government-provided equipment. In the same way, other public agencies such as fire departments and emergency medical services also had their own radios transmitting at their particular frequencies. At the time, sharing of information between the various agencies and across state-borders was generally unheard of. Therefore, states and agencies have begun to rethink and revise their policies concerning information sharing (Communication Technologies, 2008).
Communication systems incur maintenance costs just as every other type of machinery does. Present public safety projects encompass representatives from all segments of industry. Elected officials should be keenly aware of growing need of these projects and their viability. Elected officials, agencies, and community members should work hand-in-hand to meet these rising challenges. In the absence of cohesion between local, federal, and state systems, it may be next to impossible to achieve objectives due to communication barriers (Communication Technologies, 2008).
Literature Review
As per literature review, there are several notable changes in communication of law enforcement agencies. Subsequent to the Katrina hurricane and the September 11, 2001 attack, a radical shift was noted in responsibilities of public information offices (PIO), as they played a pivotal role in critical incident planning and crisis communication.
Mass broadcast means have now changed as social media websites, print media, and cable-based media target their desired populations. The latest technological advancements include Snap-mail, video blogs, video capture, and instant messaging. As well, the various agendas of public agencies have expanded, incorporating data collection, and sharing,...
Only a fraction of agencies, irrespective of size, adhere to communication strategies
2. Achieving concrete outcomes requires formulating strategies and improving communications
3. Agencies should follow similar plans to devise and implement communication strategies, taking necessary expertise from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the health industry, and the private sector.
4. Public information officer's responsibilities are unclear as duties can vary significantly
5. Turnover in the public information process is counterproductive to trust building.
6. Agencies are now hiring public relation professionals to lead trust-building initiatives (Association, 2010).
7. Present aims include inculcating trust building among community residents, companies, and agencies alike
8. Designing communication strategies is limited to a few employees as they remain largely unknown to the entire organization
9. Many agencies view branding, marketing, and alliance building as a joint process. Essentially, they are constituents of communication strategy. The present emphasis of the literature is on marketing, forming alliances, and inculcating long-term relationships with people and organizations. It also applies to law enforcement agencies (Association, 2010).
The Office of Community Oriented Policing, and the United States (U.S.) Department of Justice, as per a 2002 publication, mapped out a community-oriented plan focusing on preventing crime and terrorism in the domestic domains. The plan outlines these initiatives:
Mapping crime with geographic information systems (GIS)
Data collection
Analysis protocols
In addition to this, community alliances between police and residents will bolster active vigilance and curb criminal threats while preparing for the unexpected (Docobo, 2005).
Section 2
Field Research and Investigation
Subsequent to the September 11, 2001 incident, incorporating community residents into the crime prevention community has become imperative. President Bush emphasized the role of active citizen participation in homeland security with his established initiatives -Freedom Corps and Citizen Corps. President…
