Twenty-one new police officers will join the South Australia Police (SAPOL) ranks today, bringing a diverse mix of skills, backgrounds and life experience to policing communities across the state.
Course 94 includes 11 men and 10 women aged between 19 and 42, with graduates coming from careers including mining, health, nursing, carpentry, dog grooming, farming, real estate, defence and SAPOL community policing.
Following their graduation from the Police Academy, the new officers will be deployed across metropolitan and regional South Australia, with postings including Murray Bridge, Mount Gambier, Port Augusta, Gawler, Whyalla and Berri, as well as Northern, Western and Eastern Districts.
Among the graduates is 19-year-old Emily, who joined SAPOL after finishing high school and working casually in hospitality.
A local football player who also volunteered at the Royal Adelaide Show, Emily said the experiences helped develop skills in teamwork, courage and leadership before she began her police training.
“I wanted to make a positive impact on the community and make a difference to society. I loved the idea of every single day being different,” Emily said.
She said the fitness components of the recruitment process helped her push herself and become stronger, while her time at the Academy had also helped build her confidence and assertiveness.
Emily will begin her policing career in the Eastern District and hopes to one day pursue investigative work in areas such as Major Crime or Major Crash.
Jacob, 20, came to policing after working in hospitality.
He was attracted to SAPOL by the range of career pathways available and the opportunity to take on the pressures and challenges that come with policing.
Jacob said the Academy gave him a greater appreciation of the knowledge required to be a police officer, with driver training and firearms training among the highlights of his course.
“My most memorable experience in the Academy was driver training and firearms training,” he said.
He hopes his policing career may eventually lead him to work with young people and help reduce youth offending.
Jacob will be posted to Murray Bridge and is excited to explore the region.
For 21-year-old Isabel, joining SAPOL builds on previous experience supporting people in the community.
“Prior to joining SAPOL, I worked as a support worker assisting aged and disabled clients while also training and playing SANFLW level AFL.
“Playing AFL helped my fitness, resilience, and teamwork, while my support work strengthened my communication skills and ability to engage with people who have diverse and challenging communication needs,” Isabel said.
She said the role helped develop her fitness, resilience, teamwork and communication skills.
Originally from the Northern Territory, Isabel moved to South Australia six years ago and was drawn to policing through both family connections and her own exposure to community service.
She said practical and scenario-based training at the Academy helped prepare graduates for the realities of operational policing, while the friendships formed during the course had been another important part of the experience.
Isabel will begin her career in the Far North Region, where she is looking forward to gaining general policing experience, building relationships within the community and learning more about regional policing.
She remains open to the many pathways available within SAPOL as she gains experience, with an interest in areas including CIB and specialist policing roles in the future.
Want more from your life? Want to make an impact in your community? 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/achievemore.
Isabel (left), Jacob (middle), Emily (right)
