Dozens of overseas police officers have accepted offers to join SAPOL and nearly 100 more officers are under active assessment, as international recruitment campaigns expand to Canada and local efforts step up to meet demand.
Experienced officers will be targeted in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – building on existing campaigns in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand – and undergo a fast-tracked program recognising their prior skills to get them on the South Australian frontline as soon as possible.
The first group of international officers started at the Police Academy on Monday, with two more courses scheduled in January 2025.
Up to 200 experienced officers will be recruited as part of the global push, which has had nearly 80 offers accepted and attracted more than 450 applicants so far.
Incentives include reimbursement of visa costs for successful recruits as well as their immediate family, with relocation and transition support available.
This week, a local cadet course – Course 74 – will graduate, comprising 12 new officers to be stationed at metropolitan and regional areas.
It follows 262 police recruits graduating in the 2023-24 financial year – the highest number of graduates in recent years and double the 2019-20 period.
Both recruitment streams are a key part of the Government's $12.2 million commitment to boost policing numbers in South Australia – which has more frontline officers per capita than any other state.
The investment has also doubled the number of cadet courses per year – from six to twelve at the Academy – resulting in more recruits sworn in last financial year than any of the previous four years of the former Government.
Other initiatives include the 2024-25 State Budget delivering $36.7 million for new measures to free up more than 100 police officers and staff for operational duties, along with last year's $81.8 million investment over four years to recruit 189 more Police Security Officers and allow sworn police to return to the frontline.
As put by Dan Cregan
The Government is delivering significant investments to boost recruitment campaigns locally and overseas to bolster police resourcing across South Australia.
We have more frontline officers per capita than any other state and plans are underway to build on this workforce.
At every level and across jurisdictions, SAPOL is exploring strategies to attract and retain officers.
With our pipeline expanding further amid strong global interest, support provided will help ensure more officers deployed to keep South Australians safe.
