Jobs & Money Detail
On the beat in South Oz
Emigrate speaks to Inspector Greg Forrest, the manager of South Australia Police's recruiting section, to find out whether opportunities exist for British officers in SA
When did South Australia Police last run a recruitment drive for British police officers?
South Australia Police (SAPOL) are currently running a campaign to recruit current serving UK police officers. Applications have now closed, however, and are now being processed for a course that will commence in 2010.
What was the reasoning behind this drive, and did you specifically target British officers?
To support local recruiting efforts SAPOL recruits experienced police officers from the UK and other Australian states to supplement the recruiting numbers required. Recruiting locally remains SAPOL's primary focus with efforts being extended to other states through marketing campaigns and a recruiting website. Where there is a shortfall in the required numbers, UK recruiting assists in this area. The South Australian Government has committed to sourcing recruits from the UK until mid 2010, as part of the Recruit 400 Program which is designed to recruit 100 additional police officers each year over its four-year period.
Has this recruitment drive as successful as you had hoped it would be? What kind of skills were you looking for?
To date all of the UK recruiting drives have been successful. SAPOL seeks to recruit current serving UK police officers who have a minimum three years experience (post training) and are under 45 years of age in order to comply with immigration requirements.
What is the current employment outlook for police officers in SA?
SAPOL will continue to recruit locally and employment numbers will be subject to Government direction.
Can you foresee a need for overseas/British officers in the next 18 months or so?
At this stage there are no plans in place to conduct another UK campaign in the next 18 months.
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