Ninety-eight interviews were conducted using six different police departments across Canada. A questionnaire was administered by random selection from the roster list of two of the forces. The results suggest that members perceive distinctly different channels or subsystems through which messages are communicated. The question as to whether quality communication was in fact taking place appears to be clearly related to what messages are being transmitted through the Control, Decisionmaking, Goal-Setting, and Leadership subsystems. In addition, other outcome measures such as Job Satisfaction and the state of management-members relations (Climate) also indicate strong but less broadly-based relationships to the model subsystems. Communications can likely be improved by emphasizing the human concerns in the process. More attention could be given to two-way vertical flows of information and to one-on-one and other verbal modes of information interchange and discussion. 1 figure, 5 tables, and 18 references