Managing Communication Between Intelligence and Security Unit Personnel and Informants in the Prevention of Public Order Disturbances: Developing a Trust-Based Communication Model
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53639/ijssr.v7i2.413Keywords:
Intelkam Communication, Police Informants, Interpersonal Communication, Public Safety PreventionAbstract
This study examines interpersonal communication patterns between police intelligence personnel (Intelkam) and informants in preventing public safety disturbances. The focus is on trust-based communication, i.e. how building trust serves as the foundation for effective information gathering. A qualitative design was used, with data from in-depth interviews and field observations (user’s thesis document) analyzed thematically. Key findings highlight that face-to-face and informal (familial) communication foster openness, empathy, and supportiveness (per DeVito’s model), encouraging informants to share information. Trust-building strategies include personal approach (understanding informant’s character), safeguarding informant confidentiality, and maintaining ongoing contact. Main communication barriers are initial distrust and safety concerns of informants. A conceptual model is proposed linking communication patterns (face-to-face, phone, informal) through interpersonal qualities (openness, empathy, support) to trust, which in turn enhances information quality and prevention effectiveness. Theoretically, this extends interpersonal communication theory to intelligence context; practically, it suggests training officers in transparent, supportive communication. Study limitations involve case study scope and secondary data, so future research should empirically test the model in broader settings.
Downloads
References
Altman, I., & Taylor, D. A. (1973). Social Penetration: The Development of Interpersonal Relationships. Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Berger, C. R., & Calabrese, R. J. (1975). Some explorations in initial interaction and beyond: Toward a developmental theory of interpersonal communication. Human Communication Research, 1(2), 99–112.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches (4th ed.). SAGE.
DeVito, J. A. (2019). The Interpersonal Communication Book (15th ed.). Pearson.
Dobson, K. S. H., Dittmann, A. G., & Yeager, D. S. (2025). A transparency statement improves trust in community-police interactions. Nature Communications, 16, Article 2285. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55709-6【8†L300-L307】
Heider, F. (1958). The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations. John Wiley & Sons.
Juhdi, D., & Ansori, M. H. (2018). Analysis of DeVito humanistic interpersonal communication model. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 263, 169–174. (Conference Paper).【37†L278-L283】
Lewicki, R. J., & Bunker, B. B. (1996). Developing and maintaining trust in work relationships. In R. M. Kramer & T. R. Tyler (Eds.), Trust in Organizations: Frontiers in Theory and Research (pp. 114–139). Sage.【40†L84-L88】
Loftus, B., Bacon, M., & Skinns, L. (2022). The moral and emotional world of police informants. The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles. Advance online publication.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook (3rd ed.). SAGE.
Nunan, J., Stanier, I., Milne, R., Shawyer, A. M., Walsh, D., & May, B. (2022). The impact of rapport on intelligence yield: Police source handler telephone interactions with covert human intelligence sources. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 29(1), 1–19.【23†L53-L60】
Petronio, S. (2002). Boundaries of Privacy: Dialectics of Disclosure. State University of New York Press.
Yasin, M., & Hairunnisa, H. (2024). Analisis strategi komunikasi Satuan Intelijen Keamanan Polres Kutai Kartanegara dalam membangun kemitraan dengan masyarakat Kecamatan Tenggarong. Jurnal Sosial-Politika, 5(1), 43–51. (Dalam Bahasa Indonesia)【48†L116-L119】
Dobson, K. S. H. (1958)
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Toni Dwi Pamuji, Agus Ganjar Rutikno, Nana Sutikna
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
