The number of local sworn in South Australia Police (SAPOL) recruits has almost doubled since last year, as the Malinauskas Government also receives approval for its comprehensive international police recruitment plan.
With critical funding delivered in this year’s State Budget resulting in more recruitment courses, SAPOL has sworn in 230 local cadets this calendar year, compared with 121 in 2022.
The $12.2 million package is enabling the training of 900 local cadets by the end of 2025-26 and will see as many as 200 experienced officers from the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and New Zealand join SAPOL.
The Malinauskas Government’s plan to recruit these experienced police officers has now received Commonwealth migration labour agreement approval and SAPOL will immediately commence converting expressions of interest from international officers into frontline workers.
Campaigns, which have been running in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, will now be ramped up, appealing to the attractive lifestyle of living and working in South Australia.
The successful ‘You Belong in Blue’ campaign, which has aided SAPOL to achieve its best recruiting year since 2018, will continue to attract local officers.
Six training courses have begun since 1 July and with a further six scheduled to commence by 30 June, SAPOL is aiming to recruit 300 cadets this financial year.
The Fort Largs Police Academy in Taperoo is currently training 211 cadets.
As put by Joe Szakacs
Our Government is committed to providing SAPOL with the resources it needs to continue to keep South Australians safe.
We have seen significant year on year increases in police recruitment as we work to train 900 cadets through the Police Academy over the next three years.
Alongside this, the international recruitment drive in New Zealand, the UK and Ireland will allow SAPOL to intensify its efforts to get experienced officers on the beat.
I look forward to welcoming overseas officers to our beautiful part of the world, where they will join hundreds of newly graduated local police.
