About the Journal

The Journal of Human Police Policing Human (Pty) Ltd is Africa’s bold new voice in policing, justice, and community safety research. We are an independent, open-access, peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to advancing African scholarship and empowering those on the frontlines, criminologists, police officers, forensic experts, social workers, community activists, legal practitioners, youth leaders, and citizen researchers, to tell their stories, share their data, and shape the future of justice on our continent.

A Platform for Africa’s Frontliners

This journal is more than a publication, it is a movement. We give voice to those who live and work at the heart of Africa’s safety and justice challenges. Whether you are a police officer with decades of experience, a criminologist, a prosecutor, a forensic scientist, a community safety volunteer, a youth activist, a teacher, a social worker, or a survivor, your insights and lived realities matter here. This is where Africa tells its own story, in its own words.

Our Distinction

  • First of Its Kind:
    The first digital journal for the African continent dedicated to community-driven, multidisciplinary research in policing, crime, and justice.

  • Multilingual & Inclusive:
    We welcome submissions in any official African language, with AI-powered translation and video abstracts to break down barriers and amplify voices from every corner of the continent.

  • Community-Driven Research:
    Youth, practitioners, and citizen researchers co-create knowledge grounded in lived realities, supported by mentorship and ethical guidance.

  • Innovation & Technology:
    Our digital ecosystem leverages open access, data visualization, and real-time engagement, integrating with projects like the Evidence Vault and the Individual National Crime Surveys (INCS).

  • Evidence and Advocacy:
    Transparent, actionable data and reports drive social change, inform policy, and empower communities.

Signature Projects

  • Individual National Crime Surveys (INCS):
    Human-centred, provincial crime data and thematic reports, giving South Africans a voice in shaping safety policy.

  • Youth Initiative on Crime Research Project (YICRP):
    Mentored youth-led research tackling issues like GBV, digital crime, and substance abuse.

  • The Evidence Vault:
    Africa’s open repository for verified reports, exposing truths and supporting accountability.

  • Justice Frequencies Media Hub:
    Podcasts, 2-minute documentaries, and interviews spotlighting real stories and solutions.

  • Public Participation:
    Forums, calls for stories, and citizen data collection, because justice is everyone’s business.

Editorial Standards & Ethics

  • Rigorous Peer Review:
    All research submissions undergo double-blind peer review by at least two independent experts. Editorials, commentaries, and community voices are reviewed for quality and relevance.

  • Ethical Publishing:
    We uphold the highest standards of research ethics, including informed consent, community engagement, and data protection. All research involving human participants must have ethical approval.

  • Plagiarism & Originality:
    Zero tolerance for academic dishonesty. All manuscripts are screened for originality and conflicts of interest.

  • Data Sharing & Transparency:
    Authors are encouraged to share data in public repositories and must include data availability statements. Our Evidence Vault serves as a public resource for verified reports and datasets.

  • Corrections & Retractions:
    We promptly address errors, publish corrections, and retract articles when necessary to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

Open Access & Copyright

Human Police Policing Human (Pty) Ltd is committed to empowering African voices and advancing justice. We value our contributors and our brand, and we expect all users of our content to show the same respect.

All content is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). This means you are free to share and adapt our work for non-commercial purposes, provided you give appropriate credit. Commercial use of our content is not permitted without our explicit written permission.

We reserve the right to take action against any individual or organization that seeks to exploit our work, our contributors, or our brand for commercial gain without consent.

We are building a platform rooted in integrity, dignity, and African excellence. If you wish to use our content for commercial purposes, please contact us to discuss terms.

Respect for our mission and our people is essential. Our vision is for empowerment, not exploitation.

Accreditation, Indexing, and Managing Expectations

We are proudly new, and building something extraordinary.

  • DHET Accreditation:
    South African research output subsidy requires DHET accreditation. DHET mandates at least two years of consistent publication, rigorous peer review, and editorial independence before a journal can apply. We are committed to meeting these standards and will apply as soon as eligible.

  • Scopus Indexing:
    Scopus requires a proven track record of quality, regularity, and international relevance. We will pursue Scopus indexing after establishing two years of high-quality, peer-reviewed content.

  • DOAJ Inclusion:
    The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)  requires transparency, open access, and at least five published research articles. We will apply once we meet these criteria.

  • Your Role:
    Early contributors are pioneers, your work will help build a platform of integrity, impact, and African excellence. We are transparent about our journey and will update our community as we reach each milestone.

Our Vision

To be Africa’s leading digital hub for research, justice, and social transformation—where knowledge, innovation, and community action converge for a safer, more just continent.

Call to Action

We invite criminologists, police officers, prosecutors, forensic experts, social workers, community leaders, academics, youth, and all who care about justice and safety in Africa to:

  • Submit your research, stories, and creative works

  • Join our editorial and peer review community

  • Participate in public forums and signature projects

  • Help us redefine what it means for Africans to better Africans, through knowledge, action, and mutual respect

Let us make this journal the talk of the continent, where every frontliner’s voice is heard, and every African story matters.

Contact the Editorial Team: