24 police officers graduate
26 Apr 2023 3:01pm
There are 24 new police officers today, after they graduated from Course 57 at the South Australia Police Academy.
The 15 male and nine female officers come from a range of linguistic and culturally diverse backgrounds – including Oman, Philippines, Vietnam, England and New Zealand.
They have already had a large contribution to South Australia Police operations, with 16 of the cadets assisting Major Crime Investigation Branch with the search for murder victim Geoffrey McLean’s body at the Uleybury dump in March.
Members worked hard as they searched through several tonnes of rubbish in a systematic and methodical way, and were proud of their contribution and the opportunity to assist Major Crime in such an important investigation.
Former Mount Gambier local, Harrison has graduated after working for South Australia Police as a Protective Security Officer (PSO) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The role of a PSO is very rewarding and the amount of life experience I gained was extensive and allowed me to build my confidence,” Harrison said.
Harrison struggled initially with learning the legislation component of the police officer training, but soon found a learning method that suited him.
“I have a little brother who is six that looks up to me so much. He is one of the several reasons that I am proud to be a member of SAPOL, and would love it if he follows in my footsteps joining SAPOL one day.”
Alyssa spent much of her childhood moving to different states but always wanted to be a police officer.
“Moving around so much, I became adaptable and resilient and knew this would assist me in a policing career where every day is different,” Alyssa said.
“SAPOL offers postings to many different places within South Australia, so I am excited to have the opportunity to explore somewhere else.”
“After training at the Academy, I became confident in dealing with heightened situations and resolving them quickly – whether using communication or tactical options, or whether I was alongside my partner or solo.”
For those considering applying to become a police officer, Harrison has this advice: “Do your research. Look into the role of a police officer and the SAPOL values to see if they align with your own. If they do, and you have a genuine desire to help your community, then apply!”
Of the new police officers, 16 will be posted in metropolitan Adelaide with others going to Mount Gambier, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Port Pirie and Port Lincoln.
If you’re interested in a career in policing head to police.sa.gov.au/join-us
