Handbook : Unit informationEdith Cowan University

Faculty of Business and Law

School: Law and Justice

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

• Unit Title

  Essential Communication Skills for Law Enforcement and Compliance

• Unit Code

  CRI2604

• Year

  2015

• Enrolment Period

  1

• Version

  1

• Credit Points

  15

• Full Year Unit

  N

• Mode of Delivery

---

Description

In this unit plain English writing skills, report writing, summarising complex information and other forms of competent written and oral communication will be taught and practiced. Students in policing, compliance, investigations and law enforcement will develop the communication skills necessary to work with a wide range of members of the community and to communicate with and interview clients for a range of purposes and outcomesunder sensitive, emotionally charged and difficult circumstances. Practical skills will be taught and practiced to enable students to deal sensitively and appropriately with the challenges of working with those who do not have English as a first language; indigenous clients; children and youth and the intellectually impaired individuals.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

1. Communicate appropriately with colleagues at all levels.
2. Communicate clearly, sensitively and culturally appropriately with those who do not have English as a first language; indigenous clients; children and youth; and intellectually impaired individuals.
3. Competently conduct police interviews including cognitive interviews and conversation management.
4. Summarise the significant themes from complex interview material.
5. Understand the need for clear professional communication with colleagues.

Unit Content

1. Basic principles of investigation.
2. Cognitive interviewing.
3. Communication approaches appropriate for varied situations and individuals.
4. Communication process and interpersonal dynamics.
5. Conversation management.
6. Distinctive practices and issues in communicating with aboriginal people; people who do not have English as a first language; children and youth; and intellectually impaired individuals.
7. Ethical issues in interviewing and communication.
8. Managing conflict.
9. Plain English and clear writing.
10. Team work with colleagues.

Additional Learning Experience Information

This unit is available in the on-campus mode only and is taught with tutorial contribution from staff from the Western Australia Police Academy. One hour lectures will be used to introduce the central concepts and guide the students through the literature. Tutorials allow students to practice the applied skills which are the foundation of this unit. The assessment is structured in a way that allows students to develop academic and practical skills central to this topic.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

Text References

• Levi, Judith N., & Walker, A. G. (Eds.). (1990). Language in the judicial process. New York: Plenum Press.
• Eades, D. (1992). Aboriginal English and the law: Communicating with Aboriginal English speaking clients: a handbook for legal practitioners. Brisbane: Queensland Law Society.
• Eades, D. (1993b). Communicating with Aboriginal clients. Law Society Journal, 31(5), 41.
• Grote, E. (2006). Cross-cultural communication in law and justice interviews: perceptions of service providers (unpublished) report on the findings of research funded by the school of international, cultural and community studies grant scheme: Edith Cowan University.
• Heydon, G. (2005). The language of police interviewing. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Heydon, G. (2004). Establishing the structure of police evidentiary interviews with suspects. Language and the Law. 11(1), 27-49.
• Rock, F. (2001). The genesis of a witness statement. Forensic linguistics 8(2), 44-72.
• Watson, D. (2003). Death sentence: The decay of public language. Sydney: Knopt.
• Shuy, R. W. (1998). The language of confession, interrogation and deception. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
• Stacey, H., & Mullan, B. (1997). Cognitive interviewing, policing issues and practice journal. July (1997). 36- 71.
• Milne, B., & Bull, R. (1999). Investigative interviewing: Psychology and practice. Milton, Queensland: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
• Waddington, P. A. J., Badger, R., & Bull, R. (2005). The violent workplace. Cullompton: Willan Publishing.

Journal References

• Police Practice and Research
• The Police Journals

---