Senior Constable Fiona Spinks and Inspector Jason Dunn were at Griffith Plaza last year at a ‘meet the public’ event. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
If you’ve ever considered becoming a police officer in your hometown, an upcoming recruitment roadshow in Griffith will provide all the information you need.
The event will be held in Griffin Plaza from 2:30 to 6:30 pm on Thursday 27 February.
“We are going to highlight all the careers you can have in the police force,” District Inspector Glenn Smith said.
“We’ll have officers from the dog unit, the Police and Community Youth Clubs (PCYC), crime scene investigation, highway patrol and other units.
“There are a lot of different careers you can have in the force; you don’t have to be stuck in the one place.”
NSW Police are running a campaign called ‘You should be a cop in your hometown’. It aims to attract new police officers to take up a position in the area they already live in, so they can stay close to family and their friends.
When an applicant joins the force, they are asked to identify the locations they would like to work in. As long as there’s no reason why a person couldn’t be placed in their hometown, new recruits will be offered a placement based on their preferences.
District Inspector Smith, who has worked in various location for NSW Police for 29 years, says he’s very happy where he is now.
“Griffith has the best morale of any police station I’ve worked at; it’s a fairly young station and there’s a good variety of work. When you turn up to work, you never know what’s going to happen. You’re not just sitting at a desk. You might be told that you have to go to West Wyalong or sent out on special investigation.
“That’s why I joined the cops; I didn’t want to be stuck in the office. I’ve been able to travel all over the state.”
Probationary constables Kamprath, Harry, Karooz and Ali on their first day in 2024. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
He said there were few restrictions on who could join the police.
“You have to be over 18, but you can even be in your 50s and apply. You just have to be physically fit. We welcome people from different ethnic groups and backgrounds. We have cops who speak Indian or Asian languages – that’s so helpful in the work we do in such a multicultural community.
“You cannot beat an officer with local knowledge, they are worth their weight in gold.”
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He said perceptions of police officers being underpaid and overworked were outdated.
“We just got a significant pay rise; I think overall we are pretty well paid for what we do,” he said.
The recruitment roadshow will be held in Griffin Plaza from 2:30 to 6:30 pm on Thursday 27 February. All are welcome.
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