Sociology Seminar Series 

Presenter: Izu Sichinga on

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

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.

 

BIO

Izu Daniel Lifuka Sichinga, is an LGBTQI+ hate crimes researcher, social scientist policing scholar, and criminologist from Chingola, Zambia.

His work at the University of Cape Town focuses on queering and decolonizing criminology/policing in the African context. His recent research explores the perceptions and challenges faced by frontline police officers dealing with LGBTQI+ hate crimes in Cape Town. Currently, a PhD candidate, Izu investigates how LGBTQI+ police officers navigate their identity in the South African Police Service.

Beyond academia, he has extensive experience in communication, project management, and research across various sectors. Passionate about higher education, Izu aims to train the next generation of critical social scientists in Africa.

Izu has tutored and taught undergraduate and postgraduate students for SOC2004S: Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality, SOC3007F/SOC3027F: Social Research, SOC4056F/5019F: Race, Class and Identities, SOC3029S: Industrial Society and Social Change, SOC5034S: Global Production Networks, Development and Decent Work, and PBL2800F: Crime and Deviance in South African Cities, in the Sociology Department and at the Centre of Criminology, respectively.