Plans to attract up to 200 experienced, international police officers have been buoyed by strong early interest, as dozens submit applications and hundreds register for SAPOL's online seminars.
SAPOL will deliver online information sessions to candidates from the UK, Ireland and New Zealand over coming days, with more than 200 having registered for these events on top of the nearly 60 job applications already received.
More than $12 million was committed by the Malinauskas Government in last year's State Budget to deliver a comprehensive police recruitment package. This includes funding the training of 900 cadets at the Fort Largs Police Academy over three years to bolster our police service.
The minimum three years' experience required for interested overseas officers will allow SAPOL to deliver a condensed training course designed to accelerate their deployment to the front line.
The first international cadet training course is scheduled to commence in mid-2024.
The Government and SAPOL remain committed to prioritising opportunities to attract and recruit local South Australian applicants for careers as police and police security officers. Funding has been committed for the training and employment of an additional 189 police security officers.
SAPOL's domestic 'You Belong in Blue' recruitment marketing campaign was launched at the end of September 2023. The campaign has enlisted the support of SAPOL staff to talk about their experiences and why they have been attracted to careers in policing.
A variety of creatives have been produced for use across social media, print, TV and radio platforms showcasing SAPOL careers, which have been very positively received. The campaign will now be visible on a tram.
Last year 230 local cadets were sworn in from the Fort Largs Police Academy, nearly double the 2021 figure and the highest since 2018.
As put by Joe Szakacs
South Australia already has one of the highest rates of police officers per capita across all Australian jurisdictions, and we're committed to recruiting more to keep our State safe.
Attracting experienced officers from the UK, Ireland and New Zealand will complement our plans to train 900 cadets over three years through the Police Academy.
We are committed to ensuring our police service is highly resourced and the results we're getting show that our plan is working.
