Different Cultures and Divergent Goals: Communication and Information Flows between Dispatchers and Patrol Personnel

• In Event: Beyond the Frontlines: The Day-to-Day Realities and Decision-Making Processes among Hidden Justice System Personnel

Abstract

Communications and patrol personnel work in close contact and dependency with each other, yet have very different worlds, cultures, and institutional goals. This presentation examines conflict and efficacy in public safety communications using interview data from three study sites. The findings highlight areas of success while noting ways both sets of employees fail to understand the other group’s constraints and goals. A deeper understanding of this communication dyad is critical to divert incidents and reform aspects of criminal legal system operation.

Author

• Joseph Schafer, Arizona State University