CJA 304
Barriers to Effective Communication Effective communication is a major element to success in any relationship, business, or organization. Communication barriers attempt to impede, and in some instances stop, the successful completion of the communication process. Law Enforcement agencies are susceptible to the consequences of ineffective communication and should work toward reducing and eliminating barriers blocking the flow of communication. Organizational flaws in the entangled hodgepodge of agencies within the American criminal justice system cause various communication barriers resulting in confusion and inefficiencies throughout the system. Law enforcement agencies began sharing …show more content…
Improving and eliminating barriers to effective communication is achieved through education and self-improvement courses offered as part of a criminal justice professional’s continuing education.
Communication Failure 9/11 The repercussions of failed communication can be seen in the attacks of 9/11. Many factors contributed to known terrorists entering the United States undetected and successfully killing Americans. Ineffective communication resulting in communication failure is one variable that allowed the United States to be attacked by terrorist from another country. The structure of American law enforcement agencies is conducive to linkage blindness. Grant and Terry (2008) define linkage blindness as, “the inability to analyze and link critical information across or within agencies” (p. 5). Communication failed because Federal law enforcement agencies did not share terrorist information with state and local law enforcement agencies. Competition and territorial greed between agencies contributed to the loss of communication within the law enforcement community (Grant & Terry, 2008). Best (2007) stated, “Almost all assessments of the attacks of September 11, 2001 have concluded U. S. Intelligence and law enforcement agencies had failed to share information that might have provided advance warning of the plot” (Summary, para. 1). Congress