Sophie Conlon
In an effort to boost regional recruitment, South Australia Police (SAPOL) will soon host an assessment centre in Mount Gambier/ Berrin.
From March 12 to 14, SAPOL will offer information and testing to Limestone Coast applicants interested in becoming police officers.
SAPOL executive director people, culture and wellbeing Kim-Sherie Summers said only about 10 per cent of applicants were from regional areas and hoped hosting a series of regional workshops would help increase that number.
“People from the country are fabulous and we know that they do tend to want to go back to the country and police which is obviously something that we really, really want to happen,” she said.
“So really it’s about making it as easy as possible for country people to apply to lift those numbers, but also to create awareness that we are continually recruiting, that doesn’t change, but we do have a real a real commitment to recruiting more people from the regions.”
Probationary Constable Anja ‘AJ’ Gardsenni, who grew up in Mount Gambier/ Berrin and is now posted here, had to travel to Adelaide for the assessment process and said she would have jumped at the opportunity to complete the testing process locally.
Instead, she said she had to take a week off of work and stay in Adelaide resulting in a financial strain.
“It did take a little bit of a toll, it was a little bit of a financial strain, which is why this is just an absolutely brilliant option for country and regional people to be able to have that opportunity to be able to just be in their hometown and have all of this recruitment process done right at their front door,” she said.
It is expected country recruits would return to their region once training was finished and Con Gardsenni said there were many benefits to policing in your community.
“There are so many benefits to coming back to your hometown and policing in your home town,” she said.
“You already know the locals, you know a majority of people because you’re so involved in your community anyway before you started policing.
“People know you by name, they know your character, they know that they’ve already got that really beautiful connection and relationship with you before he became a police officer.
“And the moment you become a police officer and they see that, that trust just gets built up a bit more within that community, really positive relationships.”
Con Gardsenni said there was also an advantage in knowing the “good” and “bad” parts of the community.
“I think definitely more positives than what there are negatives around, absolutely,” she said.
With a bit more experience under her belt, Limestone Coast Officer in Charge Superintendent Cheryl Brown said policing in a regional community was “so much more rewarding” than working in a metro area.
“It’s so delightful working out here,” she said.
“The minute I got to Limestone Coast four months ago, I received so many emails from different community groups, not just government, non government organisations, people in the community, the mayor, people who would reach out and basically say we’re here to help you.
“And that just flows right the way through everything we do working in a regional area and is it is so much more rewarding, you don’t have that in the metropolitan area.”
Supt Brown said she enjoyed the collaboration regional police had with other emergency services like the State Emergency Service, Country Fire Service and Ambulance Service.
“Having those tight knit relationships with them means that we’re so more effective, not as one agency but as a group of government agencies supporting and caring for the community,” she said.
Manager of talent acquisition inspector Christie Matthews said the regional assessment centre was just one way SAPOL worked to help regional recruits.
“That’s coupled with the fact that people from the regions may be eligible for on site Academy accommodation throughout their training and a cost of living allowance that has been brought in to try and ease some of the financial burden that people may have if they’re having to relocate for that training period. to Adelaide,” she said.
“This event is for all regional applicants who will find it easier to access the SAPOL recruitment test in Mount Gambier, rather than coming to Adelaide, and registrations to attend are strongly encouraged.”
Con Gardsenni encouraged people to register.
“All I can say is just give it a go,” she said.
“Go try it, you do not know how far and how well you are going to do unless you take that leap and give it give it a try.”
