Compensating for Sexual Identity: How LGB and Heterosexual Australian Police Officers Perceive Policing of LGBTIQ+ People

Abstract

Police officers are highly criticized for their differential policing of people categorized by identity. One such group who has experienced differential policing is the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) community. Contributing new knowledge to the extant policing literature regarding intersectional identities of Australian police officers and perceptions of policing, this research applies Social Identity Theory to understand differences between lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender and heterosexual self-identified general-duties police officers ( N = 349) and policing of LGBTIQ+ people. Using an online survey, results suggest the sexual identity of a general-duties police officer does shape perceptions of policing of LGBTIQ+ people. Furthermore, there are distinct differences in the way heterosexual and lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) self-identified officers perceive police engagement with LGBTIQ+ people, with LGB and heterosexual self-identified officers equally compensating for their sexual identity in terms of policing LGBTIQ+ people and distancing themselves from the LGBTIQ+ community.

Measuring trans youths’ perceptions of police and police bias: Exploring the use of the perceptions of police scale.

“…Government and police agencies themselves have recognized there is a need to address the strained relationship between law enforcement and the LGBTQ community, and have implemented training across the United States to do so (Copple & Dunn, 2017; President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, 2015). For example, research that directly surveyed police officers on their perceptions of LGBTQ individuals revealed that some endorse stereotypical or biased attitudes toward the LGBTQ community (Bernstein & Kostelac, 2002; Israel et al, 2017; Miles-Johnson & Death, 2020) which has the potential to manifest into discriminatory behavior toward LGBTQ individuals (Herek, 1995). Unfortunately, though, many of these training programs are dissolved due to budgetary constraints (Israel et al, 2016), were received with mixed results (Israel et al, 2017), or were misunderstood as the LGBTQ community wanting “special treatment” by police officers (Sumner & Sexton, 2016).…”

Perception in Uniform: A Study of Police Attitudes towards the Transgender Community in Pakistan

“…Researchers have looked at how police personnel feel toward transgender people and other members of the LGBTIQ+ community (Miles-Johnson & Death, 2019). In order to enhance policing procedures and protect the safety and well-being of transgender individuals, these studies have underlined the need of understanding the attitudes and opinions of police officers towards the transgender community (Miles-Johnson & Death, 2019).…”