South Australia Police (SAPOL) Academy Course 61 graduates have many reasons to celebrate today, with 12 men and eight women joining the service as new police officers.
Graduates range in age from 22 to 44 years and bring various employment backgrounds, including as a former Protective Security Officer, Metropolitan Fire Service firefighter, social worker, international flight attendant, and a Sherriff’s Officer.
Some course members have ventured from regional areas, including Port Lincoln and Whyalla. Others have culturally diverse backgrounds including Indian and Egyptian.
Varun, a family man with a wife and young toddler, brings an international perspective to the role, having the rest of his family located in India.
Ongoing support from course mentors enabled him to find a balance between work and family life, as he eyes a future in combating terrorism.
“My long-term aspiration is to join the anti-terrorism branch of SAPOL. The world dynamics are changing and this poses a significant threat to our community,” he said.
“Keeping the community safe is at the core of what I want to do.”
Fellow graduate Olivia’s path travelled from a nine-year career as a flight attendant where she visited 47 countries to SAPOL’s COVID operations as a civilian in 2020.
“This role provided me an insight into SAPOL operations, and the diverse pathways it has to offer, and motivated me to become a police officer,” she said.
“I developed my communication, team work, and problem-solving skills throughout my time in aviation and these are transferrable skills to SAPOL.”
Olivia encouraged anyone interested in “being part of the blue team” to give it a go.
“To those interested in a SAPOL career just be yourself, you have nothing to lose by applying,” she added.
Working as a team on the football field led graduate Casey to pursue a sometimes physical career which encourages collaboration and provides various opportunities.
“Being involved in sport, I knew what I could bring to the dynamics of a team and I really enjoyed bringing those strengths at the academy, especially during some of the physical sessions,” he said.
“I have developed as a person since joining as a cadet becoming more confident, assertive and resilient.
“The areas that attracted me to SAPOL were job variety, pathways for promotion and making a difference in the community.”
Course 61 members have worked together during their training, already serving the community by sandbagging during the Murray River floods, and team building at Echunga in the Adelaide Hills.
The new police officers will be stationed in metropolitan Adelaide and regional areas, including Port Augusta, Whyalla, Mount Gambier and Murray Bridge.
SAPOL is currently recruiting and is keen to hear from people interested in an inspiring career with unmatched experiences and rewards.
If you’re looking for job security, career progression pathways and a chance to make a real difference in local communities visit www.police.sa.gov.au/join-us
