THE UNTOLD STORIES: An exploration of police views regarding the policing of LGBTQI+ hate crimes in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorvan der Spuy, Elrena
dc.contributor.authorSichinga, Daniel Lifuka
dc.date.accessioned2023-04-26T07:59:15Z
dc.date.available2023-04-26T07:59:15Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.date.updated2023-04-26T07:58:57Z
dc.description.abstractIn South Africa, despite constitutional safeguards, research has shown Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer (LGBTIQ+) individuals who experience hate-related incidents based on their sexual orientation and gender identity expression (SOGIE) do not report their cases to the police for fear of secondary victimisation. Much of the complaints against the police cite homophobic and heterosexist work cultures that leave victims feeling disenfranchised from accessing justice. While this may be the case, little to no research exists regarding the perceptions, experiences, and challenges faced by frontline police officers in policing LGBTQI+ hate crimes. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 30 police officers from five police stations in the Cape Metropole, South Africa, this research investigates the dynamics underlying the policing of LGBTQI+ hate crimes and the ways in which personal, institutional, and national cultural identities intersect. The research finds that police officers' perceptions of policing LGBTQI+ hate crimes are influenced by societal and institutional culture. Within these spaces, police officers are constantly negotiating parts of their identity to fit society and the SAPS' organisation cultural narratives. The research finds that discretion is central to how police officers conduct the policing of LGBTQI+ hate crimes. Discretion is observed in processes and how they define what constitutes criminality. The research further finds that the policing of LGBTQI+ hate crimes occur in spaces with limited resources. Resource constraints combined with burn-out and low morale negatively impact the SAPS service delivery standards. The research concludes with recommendations of a SOGIE-based hate crimes education for all, improving LGBTQI+-police relations through community liaisons and reducing police officers' stressors to improve employee wellbeing.
dc.identifier.apacitationSichinga, D. L. (2022). <i>THE UNTOLD STORIES: An exploration of police views regarding the policing of LGBTQI+ hate crimes in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa</i>. (). ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Public Law. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37824en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationSichinga, Daniel Lifuka. <i>"THE UNTOLD STORIES: An exploration of police views regarding the policing of LGBTQI+ hate crimes in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa."</i> ., ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Public Law, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37824en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationSichinga, D.L. 2022. THE UNTOLD STORIES: An exploration of police views regarding the policing of LGBTQI+ hate crimes in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. . ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Public Law. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37824en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Master Thesis AU - Sichinga, Daniel Lifuka AB - In South Africa, despite constitutional safeguards, research has shown Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer (LGBTIQ+) individuals who experience hate-related incidents based on their sexual orientation and gender identity expression (SOGIE) do not report their cases to the police for fear of secondary victimisation. Much of the complaints against the police cite homophobic and heterosexist work cultures that leave victims feeling disenfranchised from accessing justice. While this may be the case, little to no research exists regarding the perceptions, experiences, and challenges faced by frontline police officers in policing LGBTQI+ hate crimes. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 30 police officers from five police stations in the Cape Metropole, South Africa, this research investigates the dynamics underlying the policing of LGBTQI+ hate crimes and the ways in which personal, institutional, and national cultural identities intersect. The research finds that police officers' perceptions of policing LGBTQI+ hate crimes are influenced by societal and institutional culture. Within these spaces, police officers are constantly negotiating parts of their identity to fit society and the SAPS' organisation cultural narratives. The research finds that discretion is central to how police officers conduct the policing of LGBTQI+ hate crimes. Discretion is observed in processes and how they define what constitutes criminality. The research further finds that the policing of LGBTQI+ hate crimes occur in spaces with limited resources. Resource constraints combined with burn-out and low morale negatively impact the SAPS service delivery standards. The research concludes with recommendations of a SOGIE-based hate crimes education for all, improving LGBTQI+-police relations through community liaisons and reducing police officers' stressors to improve employee wellbeing. DA - 2022 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - LGBTQI+ KW - hate crimes KW - police KW - culture KW - discretion LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PY - 2022 T1 - THE UNTOLD STORIES: An exploration of police views regarding the policing of LGBTQI+ hate crimes in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa TI - THE UNTOLD STORIES: An exploration of police views regarding the policing of LGBTQI+ hate crimes in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37824 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/37824
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationSichinga DL. THE UNTOLD STORIES: An exploration of police views regarding the policing of LGBTQI+ hate crimes in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. []. ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Public Law, 2022 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37824en_ZA
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Public Law
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Law
dc.subjectLGBTQI+
dc.subjecthate crimes
dc.subjectpolice
dc.subjectculture
dc.subjectdiscretion
dc.titleTHE UNTOLD STORIES: An exploration of police views regarding the policing of LGBTQI+ hate crimes in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelMPhil
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