Twenty-one newly graduated South Australia Police officers are beginning their careers today after completing their training at the Police Academy. The latest graduating class includes officers with a wide range of professional and personal backgrounds, with several graduates being assigned to regional communities including Mount Gambier.

Course 94 includes 11 men and 10 women, with graduates aged between 19 and 42. Their previous careers and experiences include mining, healthcare, nursing, carpentry, farming, real estate, defence, hospitality, dog grooming and community policing.

The new officers will be distributed across metropolitan and regional South Australia. Mount Gambier is among the regional centres receiving new recruits, alongside locations including Murray Bridge, Port Augusta, Gawler, Whyalla and Berri.

For Mount Gambier, the arrival of new police officers provides additional opportunities to strengthen local policing and community engagement. Regional police perform a broad range of duties, from responding to incidents and investigating offences to road policing, community engagement and supporting vulnerable residents.

One of the graduates highlighted in the announcement is Emily, who joined SAPOL after finishing high school and working casually in hospitality. She said she was attracted to policing because she wanted to make a positive contribution to the community and liked the idea that every working day could be different.

Another graduate, Jacob, previously worked in hospitality and was attracted to the wide range of career pathways available within policing. His training included practical components such as driver and firearms training, and he will begin his career in Murray Bridge.

Graduate Isabel brings experience as a support worker assisting aged and disabled clients, as well as experience playing football at SANFLW level. She said those experiences helped develop her communication skills, resilience, teamwork and ability to work with people from different backgrounds.

The academy training included practical and scenario-based exercises designed to prepare recruits for the realities of operational policing. Graduates also completed specialised training intended to build their skills and confidence before entering frontline roles.

The new recruits will begin with general policing responsibilities while gaining experience in their assigned communities. Some hope to eventually move into specialist areas such as major crime, criminal investigation, youth-focused policing or other specialist roles.

For regional communities such as Mount Gambier, recruiting and retaining police officers is an important part of maintaining effective local services. New officers can also bring fresh skills, perspectives and community connections to regional policing teams.

The graduates' deployment is part of a broader effort by South Australia Police to build its workforce across metropolitan and regional areas.

While the new officers are only beginning their careers, their placements provide an opportunity to develop long-term connections with the communities they serve.

For Mount Gambier residents, the arrival of new police recruits means another generation of officers will be starting their professional careers in the region, supporting local policing and community safety.