Obstacles Hindering or Preventing Interagency Interactions of Law Enforcement Agencies within the Public Administration System

Abstract

The effective performance of joint tasks by law enforcement agencies depends on the alignment of their mandates, decisions, resources, and information capabilities. However, organizational autonomy, different procedures, and departmental interests create obstacles that may delay joint activities or prevent particular actions. A statutory duty to interact does not guarantee effective implementation, requiring the issue to be examined from a public administration perspective. Obstacles complicating or preventing interagency interaction among law enforcement agencies, their causes, manifestations, and impact on joint activities are conceptualized. An obstacle is defined as a legal, organizational, informational, resource-related, or behavioral circumstance complicating the initiation or implementation of joint actions. The author distinguishes between regulatory and competence-related, organizational and managerial, information and technical, resource and staffing, behavioral and motivational, and control and evaluation obstacles. By consequences, they are divided into ones reducing the effectiveness of interaction, and ones making it impossible. Their manifestations include duplication of functions, delayed information exchange, unclear responsibility, incompatible departmental systems, and the prevalence of agency-specific indicators over shared outcomes. A three-level diagnostic model covering the preconditions, process, and outcomes of interaction is proposed. The identified obstacles are interconnected and may reinforce one another. Addressing them requires clear allocation of competence and responsibility, interoperable information systems, sufficient resources, shared evaluation criteria, and continuous feedback. Operational efficiency is achievable through compliance with legality, accountability, proportionality, and human rights.