How Do We Communicate?

Research Police Cafés and Focus Group Interviews among Police Officers in Pest County, Part 2

Abstract

Introduction: The external and internal communication of the police is regulated by a revised norm issued in 2023. In addition to many other areas, efficiency is also expected in communication, but currently the Hungarian Police do not have a unified communication strategy.

Objectives: By involving police officers from two counties, I was looking for to answer the question of how police officers communicate with each other, their leaders, fellow agencies, and media providers, as well as how and through what channels the police, as an organization, presents itself to the outside world.

Methodology: First, I interviewed the employees of the Pest County Police Headquarters using a research Police Café. Those coming from the law enforcement and criminal areas, selected through a heterogeneous sampling, were able to express their opinions and insights on four predefined topics concerning police communication. Then, in the framework of a semi-structured focus group interview, the criminal and law enforcement leaders of the local agencies made statements about internal and external communication.

Results: The police officers involved in the research agreed that changes are needed in several areas of internal and external communication of the police. Social media presence and content production is perhaps one of the most sensitive and least regulated areas of external communication. A comprehensive communication strategy containing complex requirements and guarantees could cover the detailed rules of social media.

Conclusion: In order to set and implement the short, medium and long-term organizational goals of the police, a plan is needed that contains the main direction and prepares for the expected and unexpected events of the future. In order to strengthen internal cohesion, all this is conveyed among the staff and through effective external communication for outsiders, thereby increasing the positive social perception of the police and individual police officers.