South Australian Police
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South Australia Police (SAPOL) is the
police force The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...
of the Australian
state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
of
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
. SAPOL is an independent statutory agency of the
Government of South Australia The Government of South Australia, also referred to as the South Australian Government, SA Government or more formally, His Majesty’s Government, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of South Australia. It is modelled o ...
directed by the Commissioner of Police, who reports to the Minister for Police. SAPOL provides general duties policing,
highway patrol A highway patrol, or state patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is prima ...
,
criminal investigation Criminal investigation is an applied science that involves the study of facts that are then used to inform criminal trials. A complete criminal investigation can include searching, interviews, interrogations, evidence collection and preservatio ...
and emergency coordination services throughout the state. SAPOL is also responsible for
road safety Road traffic safety refers to the methods and measures used to prevent road users from being killed or seriously injured. Typical road users include pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, vehicle passengers, horse riders, and passengers of on-road ...
advocacy and education, and maintains the South Australian Road Safety Centre. the commissioner of police is
Grant Stevens Grant Stevens (born 27 October 1953 in Walcha, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian singer and lyricist who has been based in Germany since the 1970s. He left his homeland in the 1970s for London, where he recorded various albums and sin ...
, who has been in the role since July 2015.


History


Early years

Formally established on 28 April 1838 under the command of Inspector Henry Inman, the force is the oldest in
Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...
and is the third oldest organised police force in the world. The first force in the
colony of South Australia In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state'' ...
consisted of 10 mounted constables and 10 foot constables. In 1840, Major Thomas Shouldham O'Halloran was appointed as the first official Commissioner of Police. At this time, SAPOL consisted of one Superintendent, two Inspectors, three Sergeants and 47 Constables divided into foot and mounted sections. From 1848 to 1867, SAPOL also served as the state
fire and rescue service A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish conflagration, hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisd ...
, until the precursor of the
South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service The South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service (SAMFS) is the fire service for metropolitan and urban South Australia, as well as large townships. The Metropolitan Fire Service is constituted under the ''Fire and Emergency Services Act''. The M ...
was formed. They also supplied the Civil Ambulance Service from 1880 to 1954, when it was taken over by the St John Ambulance Service.


Female officers

In 1915, the first two female police officers,
Kate Cocks Kate Cocks (born Fanny Kate Boadicea Cock; 5 May 1875 – 20 August 1954) was a welfare worker and one of two of the state's first female police officers in South Australia. She is best known for her work with unmarried mothers and their babies ...
and Annie Ross, were appointed. This was six months after
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
commenced with two
officers An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...
. It had been said "it is easier to get into heaven than to join the women police". Cocks retired in 1935, and was the officer in charge of the largest female detachment of all Australian state police departments of 14, which was double the size of the next-nearest of New South Wales. In 1929, officer Miss Daisy Curtis studied on a
scholarship A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarsh ...
abroad to examine the 'methods of protecting women and children'. This included travels to the jurisdictions of Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Nederlands, the United States of America, and New Zealand. (
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
did not get it first female officer until 1941.) In 1999, SAPOL was the first Australian policing jurisdiction to appoint a female police officer, Senior Constable Jane Kluzek, to a tactical group.


Timeline of initiatives

* 1893: Introduced bicycles for metropolitan and country foot police * 1893: Pioneered the fingerprint system in Australia * 1987: The first Australian police service to introduce videotaping of "suspect person" interviews * 1993: Introduced Operation Nomad, as a policing initiative to reduce the threat of bushfires * 1996:
Crime Stoppers Crime Stoppers or Crimestoppers is a community program that helps people to provide Anonymity, anonymous information about Crime, criminal activity. Often managed by non-profit groups or the police, it operates separately from the emergency tel ...
launched * 2000s: Established neighbourhood policing teams in various metropolitan areas * 2011: The first police jurisdiction in Australia to launch its own web platform connecting mobile phone users to the latest police news


Responsibilities


Commissioner

The commissioner of police, in addition to leading SAPOL, also serves as the State Emergency Coordinator and is responsible for major emergency response and command and control of major disasters, including
bushfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire ...
s, floods, and earthquakes. Under an emergency declaration the commissioner is extraordinary authority to create rules and regulations that may be enforced by police, for a limited time. Due to these laws, Commissioner
Grant Stevens Grant Stevens (born 27 October 1953 in Walcha, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian singer and lyricist who has been based in Germany since the 1970s. He left his homeland in the 1970s for London, where he recorded various albums and sin ...
became a central figure in South Australia's response to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. The powers of South Australia Police are defined in the ''Police Act 1998''.


SAPOL

In addition to general law enforcement such as patrols and investigations, SAPOL is responsible for other services throughout the state. These include: * Operating emergency assistance call centres for police,
000 (emergency telephone number) 000 Emergency, also known as Triple Zero or Triple 0, and sometimes stylised Triple Zero (000), is the primary national emergency telephone number in Australia. The Emergency Call Service is operated by Telstra, and overseen by the Australian C ...
* Non-urgent assistance call centres, 131 444 (non-emergency telephone number) * Coordinating and managing emergency disaster response * Road safety advocacy and education * Registration and licensing of firearms * Liquor licensing enforcement * Security of public buildings and officials * Police prosecutions * Victim support services


Organisation

SAPOL's structure consists of various units. Through the
chain of command A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. It can be viewed as part of a power structure, in which it is usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part. Milit ...
, all units are accountable to the Commissioner. Services are the largest units, and are headed by a sworn assistant commissioner, or for areas which are not policing specific, such as
information technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...
, a civilian Director. Services are directly accountable to either the Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner. Services within metropolitan Adelaide are based on four different districts: North, East West and South. Each district has its own localised branch that provides specialised services or assistance, such as
Criminal Investigation Branch The Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) is one of the main branches of the New Zealand Police and it is dedicated to investigating and solving serious crime, and targeting organized crime and recidivist criminals. The CIB has existed since the ...
(CIB), family violence, and intelligence sections. There are seven local service areas (LSAs) for remote and country areas within the remainder of the state.


Districts and local service areas

Districts and LSAs are the main organisational unit to provide policing services to the public. A district and local service area contains a number of police stations, as well as specialist services to support frontline police such as
detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
s, crime scene investigators and
traffic Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...
police. Each LSA has a designated office known as a 'Complex' where majority of operations in the area start. The LSA then have smaller community police stations for quick policing access. Metropolitan districts and LSAs are divided into the Metropolitan Operations Service and the State Operations Service, which each have their own coordination branch and some other additional functions.


Metropolitan Districts (Metropolitan Operations Service)

* Eastern District * Northern District * Southern District * Western District * Metropolitan Operations Service Coordination Branch * Public Transport Safety Section


Local Service Areas (State Operations Service)

* Barossa LSA * Eyre and Western LSA * Far North LSA * Hills Fleurieu LSA * Limestone Coast LSA * Murray Mallee LSA * Yorke Mid North LSA * State Operations Service Coordination Branch * State Tactical Response Group * Traffic Services Branch (Highway Patrol) File:ADG Gawler Police Station.jpg, Gawler Police Station File:HamleyBridgePoliceStation.JPG, Hamley Bridge Police Station File:ADH Stirling police.jpg, Stirling Police Station


Security and Emergency Management Service

Security and Emergency Management is led by an Assistant Commissioner. * Security and Emergency Management Service Coordination Branch * Communications Group * Police Security Services Branch * Security Advice Section * Special Tasks and Rescue Group (STAR Group) ** STAR Group Police Tactical Group ** Dog Operations Unit ** Mounted Operations Unit ** Water Operations Unit ** PolAir ** Bomb Squad ** Negotiators *
Security Response Section The Security Response Section (SRS) is a unit of the South Australia Police, deployed to “at-risk” crowded places such as large protests and AFL games, and to conduct regular patrols of Rundle Mall, the Adelaide Railway Station and the Adelaid ...
* State Protective Security Branch (Police Security Officers)


Operations Support Service

Operations Support is led by an Assistant Commissioner. * Operations Support Service Coordination Branch * Firearms Branch * Forensic Services Branch * Licensing Enforcement Branch * Prosecution Services Branch * State Intelligence Branch


Crime Service

Crime Service is led by an Assistant Commissioner, usually a former Detective. * Serious Crime Coordination Branch * Financial and Cybercrime Investigation Branch * Investigation Support Branch * Major Crime Investigation Branch * Public Protection Branch * Serious and Organised Crime Branch


Governance and Capability Service

Governance and Capability is led by an Assistant Commissioner. * Governance and Capability Service * Coordination Branch * Commissioner’s Support Branch * Communication and Engagement Branch * Ethical and Professional Standards Branch * Office of the General Counsel


Other services

Each administrative service is led by a civilian director. * Business Service * Information Systems and Technology Service * Human Resources Service


Ranking and structure


Police Officers

All grades of constable perform the same basic range of duties, with the rank only reflecting experience. The rank of probationary constable is held for the first fifteen months of service. A constable with one stripe is qualified for promotion to senior constable. A senior constable first class is either an officer qualified for promotion to sergeant/senior sergeant or has won a senior constable first class position on merit. A brevet sergeant is the second in charge of a team and it can be a temporary designation for an officer in a particular position which would require specialised skills, such as a detective. A sergeant normally manages a team during a shift. A sergeant may also manage a small country station. A detective sergeant is normally in charge of a team in an investigations section. As with a sergeant, a detective sergeant may be the officer in charge of a country CIB unit. A senior sergeant is the officer in charge of a section, including traffic, criminal investigation, and operations (uniform), and traditionally does more administrative work than active patrol duties. Officers of Police were formerly known as commissioned officers. This name was changed as SAPOL officers no longer receive a
Queen's Commission A commission is a formal document issued to appoint a named person to high office or as a commissioned officer in a territory's armed forces. A commission constitutes documentary authority that the person named is vested with the powers of that ...
. Officers of Police act primarily as managers and generally do not partake in operational policing. An Inspector is in charge of a section. A detective inspector is normally in charge of the whole station CIB. A uniform inspector is normally in charge of the station's operations. A chief inspector commands a department at station level. A uniform chief inspector is in charge of all uniformed officers, regardless of their attachments to assigned areas (e.g. general duties, traffic duties etc.). Some country LSAs have chief inspectors as the regional commander. A detective chief inspector is in charge of all CIB-related matters. Superintendents, chief superintendents and commanders may be the manager of a Local Service Area or Branch, such as the Major Crime Branch. An LSA commander is generally a superintendent. A chief superintendent may be the manager of a specialised area, such as a Service Coordination Branch. Few commanders are appointed. The Industrial Relations Branch has a commander as its officer in charge. An assistant commissioner is the manager of a service, such as Northern Operations Service or Crime Service. The Deputy Commissioner is the assistant to the Commissioner, who commands the organisation.


Police Security Officers

Police Security Officers (PSOs) (formerly Protective Security Officers) are armed
security police Security police officers are employed by or for a governmental agency or corporations to provide security service security services to those properties. Security police protect facilities, properties, personnel, users, visitors and enforce cer ...
officers originally employed by SAPOL to perform security functions at government properties, to provide security to protected persons (such as the
Governor of South Australia The governor of South Australia is the representative in South Australia of the Monarch of Australia, currently King Charles III. The governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the governor-gene ...
) and to monitor metropolitan CCTV cameras. PSOs functions and duties have over time increased to include duties traditionally performed by sworn Police Officers. PSOs normally have limited powers and are limited to using those power in prescribed circumstances or locations, however, under current legislation passed in 2022, PSOs duties may be extended by the Commissioner of Police and they may be granted full police powers and immunities in the performance of those duties. PSOs were utilised in the states response to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. PSOs have their own rank structure.


Uniform and equipment


Uniforms

SAPOL issues uniforms to sworn police officers. Police officers working in non-specialised areas generally wear a standard uniform, which consists of a navy blue collared shirt with attached police badges and navy blue slacks. Short and long sleeve shirts are worn as preferred. Police officers can choose between either a dark blue peaked hat or an
Akubra Akubra is an Australian hat manufacturer. The company is associated with bush hats made of rabbit fur felt with wide brims that are worn in rural Australia. The term "Akubra" is sometimes used to refer to any hat of this kind, however the compa ...
wide-brimmed hat and are not required to wear a tie. Baseball caps are worn in specialist areas, including STAR Group, Crime Scene, State Traffic Enforcement Section, and by Operational Safety Trainers. Officers in northern country areas wear khaki uniforms instead of blue. PSOs (Police Security Officers) wear slightly different shirts. The shirts and slacks are also navy blue, but they have golden markings and PSO markings. In the past, the shirt was white. This was changed at the end of 2019. In 2010 SAPOL started consultations on a new darker uniform reminiscent of those worn by officers of the
NYPD The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
and
LAPD The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...
. In 2012 SAPOL announced the new uniform would be introduced in mid-October 2012 and would be rolled out over 18 months. The only visible change from the consultation period was to the
peaked cap The peaked cap, peaked hat, service cap, barracks cover or combination cap is a form of headgear worn by the armed forces of many nations, as well as many uniformed civilian organisations such as law enforcement agencies and fire departments. It ...
. The white peak was changed to the same dark blue as the shirt and pants, which is called ink blue. SAPOL has implemented the use of stab-resistant vests for all patrol officers, PSOs and Police dogs.


Equipment and weaponry

Standard equipment issued to almost all officers are: *
Smith & Wesson M&P The Smith & Wesson M&P (Military and Police) is a polymer- framed, short recoil operated, locked breech semi-automatic pistol introduced in the summer of 2005 by the American company Smith & Wesson. It uses a Browning-type locking system. Whil ...
.40 S&W semi-automatic pistol *
Pepper spray Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, or capsicum spray is a lachrymatory agent (a compound that irritates the eyes to cause a burning sensation, pain, and temporary blindness) used in policing, riot control, cr ...
* ASP Extendable Baton *
Handcuffs Handcuffs are Physical restraint, restraint devices designed to secure an individual's wrists in proximity to each other. They comprise two parts, linked together by a Link chain, chain, a hinge, or rigid bar. Each cuff has a rotating arm whi ...
*
Taser A taser is an electroshock weapon used to incapacitate people, allowing them to be approached and handled in an unresisting and thus safe manner. It is sold by Axon, formerly TASER International. It fires two small barbed darts intended to ...
* Light ballistic vest *
Bodycam A body camera, bodycam, body worn video (BWV), body-worn camera, or wearable camera is a wearable audio, video, or photographic recording system. Body cameras have a range of uses and designs, of which the best-known use is as a part of poli ...
Criminal Investigation Officers are issued with the compact version of the semi-automatic pistol (M&Pc). Specialised units such as Special Tasks and Rescue (STAR Group) use other equipment suited to the nature of their duties. SA Police were among the last to carry revolvers as a duty weapon. They carried
Smith & Wesson Model 66 The Smith & Wesson Model 19 is a revolver produced by Smith & Wesson that was introduced in 1957 on its K-frame. The Model 19 is chambered for .357 Magnum. The K-frame is somewhat smaller and lighter than the original N-frame .357, usually known ...
(a variant of the Model 19) revolvers in
.357 Magnum The .357 Smith & Wesson Magnum, .357 S&W Magnum, .357 Magnum, or 9×33mmR as it is known in unofficial metric designation, is a smokeless powder cartridge with a bullet diameter. It was created by Elmer Keith, Phillip B. Sharpe, and Douglas B. ...
until the switch to the Smith & Wesson M&P semi automatic in 2009.
Drone Drone most commonly refers to: * Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg * Unmanned aerial vehicle * Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft * Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to: ...
s have been used for surveillance since June 2013. In July 2020, a new rapid response armed unit the
Security Response Section The Security Response Section (SRS) is a unit of the South Australia Police, deployed to “at-risk” crowded places such as large protests and AFL games, and to conduct regular patrols of Rundle Mall, the Adelaide Railway Station and the Adelaid ...
consisting of 48 officers who carry
semi-automatic rifle A semi-automatic rifle is an autoloading rifle that fires a single cartridge with each pull of the trigger, and uses part of the fired cartridge's energy to eject the case and load another cartridge into the chamber. For comparison, a bolt-act ...
s became operational.


Transport


Vehicles

SAPOL officers use a number of vehicles in day-to-day duties. Throughout its history SAPOL has mostly used the Holden Commodore as its primary vehicle. Since the phasing out of the Holden Commodore SAPOL has recently switched to the
Kia Sorento The Kia Sorento ( ko, 기아 쏘렌토, translit=Gia Sorento) is a mid-size crossover SUV (formerly a body-on-frame SUV until 2009) produced since 2002 by South Korean manufacturer Kia. First generation (BL; 2002) 2002–2006 Debuted in ...
and Toyota RAV 4 as general duties vehicles. The Volkswagen Tiguan has recently been introduced primarily for traffic related duties. SAPOL also uses vehicles including the
Toyota Kluger The Toyota Highlander, also known as the , is a mid-size crossover SUV with three-row seating produced by Toyota since 2000. Announced in April 2000 at the New York International Auto Show and arriving in late 2000 in Japan and January 2001 in ...
,
Mitsubishi Outlander The is a mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors. It was originally known as the when it was introduced in Japan in 2001. The original Airtrek name was chosen to "describe the vehicle's ability to transpo ...
and
Toyota Camry The Toyota Camry (; Japanese: トヨタ・カムリ ''Toyota Kamuri'') is an automobile sold internationally by the Japanese auto manufacturer Toyota since 1982, spanning multiple generations. Originally compact in size (narrow-body), the Camry ...
. Also used are
VW Transporter The Volkswagen Transporter, based on the Volkswagen Group's T platform, now in its seventh generation, refers to a series of vans produced for over 70 years and marketed worldwide. The T series is now considered an official Volkswagen Group aut ...
,
Toyota Hilux The , stylized as HiLux and historically as Hi-Lux, is a series of pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The majority of these vehicles are sold as pickup truck or cab chassis variants, although the ...
,
Holden Colorado The Holden Colorado utility vehicle and similar Holden Colorado 7 sport utility vehicle (SUV) were sold in Australasia by Holden. Introduced in 2008 to replace the Holden Rodeo the Australasian Colorado was built by GM Thailand and is essential ...
and
Isuzu D-MAX The Isuzu D-Max is a pickup truck manufactured since 2002 by Isuzu Motors. A successor of the Isuzu Faster/KB, the first and second-generation model shares its platform with the Chevrolet Colorado. The third-generation model shares its platfo ...
caged vehicles for prisoner transport. In remote country areas,
Toyota Land Cruiser The (also sometimes spelled as LandCruiser) is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. It is Toyota's longest running series of models. , the sales of the Land Cruiser totalled more than ...
s and Troop Carriers are used as primary patrol vehicles. Patrol cars are used in both marked and unmarked variants, with the latter being a bit more extensive in its vehicle composition. SAPOL have also, in previous years, used high performance vehicles such as Holden's SS Commodore for traffic operations. Members of the State Traffic Enforcement Section ride marked and unmarked
Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...
and BMW motorcycles for traffic, escort, and other duties. File:Police Lead The March - cropped (2).jpg, A local traffic enforcement
Holden ZB Commodore The Opel Insignia is a large family car (D-segment in Europe) developed and produced by the German car manufacturer Opel since 2008. Taking its name from a 2003 concept car, the model line serves as the flagship Opel car line, slotted above th ...
File:SA Police at Lourdes.jpg, A General Duties car


Specialised vehicles

SAPOL utilise specialised Vehicles which are used in a wide variety of ways, for example, as a mobile police station/unit at a large public function, or as forward command posts at
search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
s, or other incidents such as siege or hostage situations. STAR Group also possess a
Lenco BearCat The Lenco BearCat is a wheeled SWAT vehicle designed for military and law enforcement use. It is in use by several military forces and law enforcement agencies around the world. History Since 1981 the Massachusetts-based Lenco Industries, known ...
armoured vehicle available for use in a siege or terrorist situations.


Watercraft

The SAPOL Water Operations Unit uses a number of
watercraft Any vehicle used in or on water as well as underwater, including boats, ships, hovercraft and submarines, is a watercraft, also known as a water vessel or waterborne vessel. A watercraft usually has a propulsive capability (whether by sail, ...
including boats and
Jet Ski Jet Ski is the brand name of a personal watercraft (PWC) manufactured by Kawasaki, a Japanese company. The term is often used generically to refer to any type of personal watercraft used mainly for recreation, and it is also used as a verb to ...
s to police coastal and inland waterways.


Mounted branch

For ceremonial activities, crowd control and patrol duties, the SAPOL Mounted Operations Unit use grey horses. They are bred and trained at the
Thebarton Police Barracks Thebarton ( ), formerly Theberton, on Kaurna land, is an inner-western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of West Torrens. The suburb is bounded by the River Torrens to the north, Port Road and Bonython Park to the east, Kintore ...
, in
Park 27 The Adelaide Park Lands are the figure-eight of land spanning both banks of the River Torrens between Hackney and Thebarton and separating the City of Adelaide area (which includes both Adelaide city centre and North Adelaide) from the surro ...
of the
Adelaide Park Lands The Adelaide Park Lands are the figure-eight of land spanning both banks of the River Torrens between Hackney and Thebarton and separating the City of Adelaide area (which includes both Adelaide city centre and North Adelaide) from the surro ...
, just north-east of the
Adelaide city centre Adelaide city centre (Kaurna: Tarndanya) is the inner city locality of Greater Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is known by locals simply as "the City" or "Town" to distinguish it from Greater Adelaide and from the City of Ade ...
. These "police greys", as they are known, are ideal for police work as the light grey tones make the horse highly visible at night. They are also highly recognisable in the community and are often involved in community events such as leading the annual
Credit Union Christmas Pageant The National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant is a parade held annually in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Established in 1933, the event is staged annually on the second Saturday of November, typically from 9.30am except 2020 and 2021 wh ...
and


__Aircraft_

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Aircraft

Members of STAR Group and Transit Services Branch act as crew members on a modified Bell 412">ANZAC Day parade.


Aircraft

Members of STAR Group and Transit Services Branch act as crew members on a modified Bell 412
Helicopter (callsign PolAir 53) which features an array of thermal and imagine sensors, aircraft is marked in a SAPOL livery. SAPOL also use a Pilatus PC-12 aircraft which is used to convey Police and prisoners across the state. File:South Australia Police (VH-HIG) Pilatus PC-12-47E parked at Wagga Wagga Airport (1).jpg, Pilatus PC-12/47E of South Australia Police


Training and education

Recruit training is conducted at the SAPOL Police Academy located adjacent to the old barracks adjacent to
Fort Largs Fort Largs is a historic defence site in the coastal suburb of Taperoo near Port Adelaide, South Australia, approximately north west of Adelaide's city centre. Fort Largs was built as a coastal battery installment in 1885, responsible for ...
in the north-western Adelaide suburb of
Taperoo Taperoo is a suburb in the Australian state of South Australia located on the LeFevre Peninsula in the west of Adelaide about north-west of the Adelaide city centre. Description Taperoo is adjacent to Osborne and Largs North. It is bounded ...
. Cadets undergo a 52-week course, called the "Constable Development Program" (CDP). The CDP is broken down into five phases, which includes training at the Police Academy and field experience at metropolitan LSAs. Police cadets learn law, about investigations and police procedures. During recruit training, non-officers (police staff and volunteers) assist with various duties, such as cadet assessment, role playing and general administration. Cadets also undertake operational safety training, including
self-defence Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in ...
and the use of
firearms A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...
. Practical role-playing and assessments are part of the course. Training with police dogs and police horses is offered at the Thebarton Police Barracks. Earlier, training was being held at the older Academy located next to the present one.


Graduation and aftermath for new officers

Cadets graduate with the rank of probationary constable and are subject to a 15-month period of on-the-job training. Probationary Constables are required to work with a Field Tutor for the first 6 months of the probationary period whilst they complete a Personal Learning Portfolio. Probationary Constables also undertake a range of duties to enhance their learning, including traffic, prisoner management, and general duties. For the following 6 months, probationary constables continue to collect evidence of their workplace competency before attending the Probationary Constable Assessment Workshop to determine whether they are suitable to progress to the rank of
Constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...
. Upon completion of the probationary period, officers receive a Diploma of Public Safety (Policing) and are appointed to the rank of Constable. Training is ongoing and further courses are available for officers to attend, should they wish to progress their policing career further. SAPOL Protective Security Officers also undergo training at this location. The duration of this training course is only 12 weeks.


Radio communications

SAPOL refers to the communications operation as "VKA". At 0400 hours (4am) on Tuesday 10 December 2002, SAPOL officially switched from standard 64 UHF channels to the SAGRN. This utilised digital encrypted radio transmissions meaning that scanners could not listen to police communications. While at first there seemed to be technical issues with the new system, they were quickly resolved and the department now has full trust in the system. SAPOL still have UHF licences and it is plausible they are available as back-up communication channels. SAPOL uses three primary devices for voice communication over the network. They are Spectra W7 mobile, XTS 5000 portable and Spectra W3 mobile. These can be controlled via the RCH3000 desktop controller, used in fixed locations generally by trained operators. These devices have a number of features that are regularly used in patrols. These features include private call, page alert and telephone interconnect. Private call allows units to directly talk to another unit without dispatch, or other users in the talkgroup to hear. However, this comes with the inability for dispatch to contact either unit. Page function alerts another radio that someone else is attempting to contact them. Telephone interconnect enables units to make and answer calls through the system. However, only supervisors have the ability to make and answer to any number, general patrols are restricted to only a list of certified SAPOL numbers. Each LSA has two assigned 'talkgroups'. COMCEN (Communications) have assigned talkgroup IDs, allowing them to pair an LSA's primary and secondary talkgroups together allowing control to manage two channels at once. The Secondary channel is often used for local/chat, dispatch lowers the volume of the secondary channel, which enables them to monitor the channels and talk to all units on duty in the LSA.


Call signs and unit designation identification system

SAPOL use location-based call signs. Units are called in by stating the station they come from followed by a designated number. Examples: * A unit in Holden Hill could be Holden Hill 16. * Traffic Services place a zero (0) before the number, for example, Holden Hill 016 would be a traffic patrol in Holden Hill with the call sign 16. * Higher-ranked officers have a different prefix. This is followed after the station name, and before the unit number: ** Sergeant = Vixen ** Senior sergeant = Mitre ** Inspector/chief inspector = Trojan ** Superintendent/chief superintendent = Baron ** Example: Holden Hill Mitre 10 is a senior sergeant in Holden Hill with the unit number 10.


Notable incidents

In 1988 Detective Sergeant Barry Moyse (died 2010, aged 65), the former officer in charge of the drug squad was convicted and would serve twenty years in gaol for supplying heroin and other drugs, which he had seized from dealers. In 1994 a bombing at the
National Crime Authority The National Crime Authority (NCA) was an Australian law enforcement agency established in 1984 and wound up on 31 December 2002. History The NCA was set up in 1984 in the wake of the Costigan Commission, which investigated tax evasion and orga ...
Adelaide offices killed SAPOL Det Sgt Geoffrey Bowen and severely injured others. The bomb was concealed in a parcel that was addressed to Bowen. Domenic Perre, who had been identified as a person of interest shortly after the bombing and a known crime figure was convicted of the bombing in 2022, 28 years after it occurred. During the
2016 South Australian blackout The South Australian blackout of 2016 was a widespread power outage in South Australia that occurred as a result of storm damage to electricity transmission infrastructure on 28 September 2016. The cascading failure of the electricity transmissio ...
SAPOL Commissioner Grant Stevens declared a major incident under the Emergency Management Act. During the incident, Police Officers who were not responding to distress calls were forced to undertake traffic control duties in the stormy conditions due to all traffic lights around the state becoming inoperable.


List of commissioners


See also

*
South Australia Police Historical Society The South Australia Police Historical Society Incorporated is a volunteer-based incorporated association with the aim of preserving and promoting the history of the South Australia Police and of law enforcement in South Australia. Foundation ...
*
Law enforcement in Australia Law enforcement in Australia is one of the three major components of the country's justice system, along with courts and corrections. Law enforcement officers are employed by all three levels of government – federal, state/territory, and l ...


Notes


References


Further reading

* Clyne, Robert (1987), ''Colonial Blue: A history of the South Australian Police Force, 1836–1916'', Wakefield Press


External links

* * {{Authority control Law enforcement agencies of South Australia Emergency services in South Australia