South Australia Police (SAPOL) has been recognised for its commitment to supporting Australian Defence Force (ADF) Reservists, winning the 2026 South Australia Employer Support Award in the Public Sector category.
The Employer Support Awards recognise employers that demonstrate exceptional and sustained support for reservists, enabling them to balance their workplace responsibilities with Defence service commitments.
SAPOL was nominated by Brevet Sergeant Carly Formosa from Northern District Intelligence, who serves as an ADF Reservist. Brevet Sergeant Formosa commended the support of Crime Coordination Manager Senior Sergeant First Class Claudia Sherwood and her colleagues in helping her balance her policing and Defence responsibilities.
In her nomination, Brevet Sergeant Formosa acknowledged SAPOL's ongoing support of her Defence service through flexible workplace arrangements, including roster adjustments, management of staffing impacts and the redistribution of workloads to enable her to meet Reserve commitments and undertake Defence training.
She recognised that support extended beyond the approval of leave, with managers and colleagues making significant personal and operational accommodations to release her for a Defence promotional qualification course, which directly contributed to her promotion to Warrant Officer.
Brevet Sergeant Formosa also highlighted SAPOL's workplace culture, which values Defence service and recognises the benefits it brings back to the organisation. Skills gained through Reserve service, including intelligence analysis, leadership, mentoring, professionalism and operational decision-making, have strengthened SAPOL's intelligence capability, team leadership and staff development, creating benefits for both organisations.
Senior Sergeant Claudia Sherwood and Brevet Sergeant Formosa attended the 2026 Employer Support Awards for South Australia on 25 September at The Naval, Military and Air Force Club of South Australia and accepted the Public Sector award on behalf of SAPOL.
The recognition highlights SAPOL's commitment to supporting employees who serve their communities through both policing and Defence service while fostering professional development opportunities that strengthen capability across the organisation.
Senior Sergeant Claudia Sherwood (left) from South Australia Police along with Warrant Officer Carly Formosa (right) from the Defence School of Intelligence – Air accepts the Public Sector category award from Brigadier Donald Hogben, Commander 9th Brigade, during the South Australia Employer Support Awards Ceremony.
