South Australia Police (SAPOL) will this week reach the authorised Police Establishment for the first time since 2018.
This milestone strengthens frontline policing capacity and visibility across metropolitan and regional South Australia to enhance overall community safety.
SAPOL's frontline policing capability will be 4,674.2 strong, following 28 international police officers being sworn in at a ceremony today and a further 22 local cadets being sworn in on Thursday.
Commissioner of Police, Grant Stevens said today's recruits come from the United Kingdom, New Zealand and for the first time, Canada.
"SAPOL has worked tirelessly over the past three years to recruit and train the next generation of South Australia Police Officers," Commissioner Stevens said.
"But there is no resting on our success, having just launched our new 'Find Where You Belong in Blue' advertising campaign to attract even more local recruits.
"This campaign focuses on impact, community service and diverse range of careers available within our service."
Building on the 'You Belong in Blue' campaign launched in 2023, the new campaign features many police officers (including the Commissioner), as well as colleagues from SA Metropolitan Fire Service and SA Ambulance Service.
Today's new SAPOL officers will now start the 15‑week SAPOL Transition Program that enables experienced sworn officers to transition efficiently into South Australian policing, building on skills gained in comparable jurisdictions and redeploying that experience directly to frontline duties across metropolitan and regional areas.
"SAPOL's Transition Program helps increase operational capacity while accelerating members to the frontline to support local recruits," Commissioner Stevens said.
"We're on track to reach our goal of recruiting 200 experienced officers in June and are excited to welcome Garret Smollett Bailey our first recruit formerly from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Today's ceremony brings the number of new recruits to 869 since 2023 with the Academy on track to train more than 900 recruits by the end of this year.
If you're interested in a career with SAPOL, we will be at the Employment and Careers Expo at the Adelaide Showgrounds from May 7-9. Come along and meet our friendly recruiting team who can answer any of your questions.
Applications to join SAPOL remain open year-round, with a continued focus on recruiting people who reflect SAPOL's values. Visit www.police.sa.gov.au to find more information on SAPOL and how to apply for a SAPOL career.
