By Martina Simos
Australian police agencies offer recruitment drives at various times during the year. The 2023 recruitment campaign from South Australia Police (SAPOL) – You belong in Blue – aimed to increase its pool of police cadets and Police Security Officers (PSO’s).
The campaign, which was launched by SA Commissioner of Police Grant Stevens, features a video with everyday police officers to reflect the diversity of its workforce, to encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.
Former police graduate Constable Kyri who graduated from the police academy in June 2021, spoke to The Greek Herald about why she chose SAPOL over a career in sales and marketing.
Constable Kyri grew up in a Greek household, with three other siblings, has a good command of the Greek language – thanks to Saturday morning classes – and ‘loves’ her yiayia’s spanakopita and kataifi, and her mother’s yiros!
Kyri is still fiercely connected to her Greek heritage, and while at university was involved in Greek social club events and still attends a Greek church for name days, Easter and Christmas.
“I am [proud], especially after having been to Greece and seeing where my grandparents come from, and the life they have built for themselves and us in Australia,” she said.
Choosing a policing career did not happen immediately after leaving school. Instead, she went to university and worked in sales/marketing administration roles while volunteering at State Emergency Services (SES).
“There wasn’t a particular moment, but I had been volunteering with the State Emergency Services for a while, which I enjoyed, and I was getting a bit restless working in an office, so I put my application in,” she said.
“I had thought about it during university, but I wanted to try other jobs and life experiences, such as travel, before I applied.
“I applied about six years after graduating from uni.”
During the application process, Kyri worked on increasing her fitness levels with the help of a personal trainer, who tailored a running program to help with this goal.
After a successful application, Kyri attended the Police Academy for nine months and graduated in June 2021, where she was relocated to a large country town to begin her career as a police officer.
“Our main task is responding to tasks. If you call the police, we arrive,” she said.
“Secondary to that, is patrolling the town, looking for any types of suspicious activities in the area and showing general police presence to deter crime.
“I am currently enjoying general duties on the road, where I plan to stay for several years.
“Eventually I may wish to join an investigation section – potentially family violence.”
