Law Enforcement And Prosecutors: How Two Entities Work Together (Or Not)

Law enforcement officers and prosecutors have an important and co-dependent relationship within the criminal justice system. Communication plays an essential role in completing criminal justice objectives, as it allows for two entities with separate missions to be on the same page. The police-prosecutor relationship has been studied, but the role of communication within this relationship has received relatively little attention. This is an exploratory study based on how officers perceive the quality of communication from prosecutors. In this study, I rely on survey responses from law enforcement officers in a suburban police department. This survey inquired about officer demographics, the quality and quantity of prosecutor communication, different forms of communication, and their perspectives as an officer. The survey also included open-ended questions to understand officer concerns and potential solutions. The results of this study showed that many officers within this department receive very little communication from prosecutors, and many officers perceive the little communication they do receive to be unclear. Many officers report that there is a lack of inclusiveness, legal updates, training, and basic communication from prosecutors. Relying on officer responses and relevant literature, I conclude by recommending that these entities better utilize person-to-person communication channels.