How to Become a Police Officer in New South Wales, Australia
The police force in New South Wales (NSW) is the largest in Australia, according to the NSW website, and it is also one of the fastest growing. By joining the NSW police force, you will have the ability to move into many different areas of law enforcement after completing three years of general police work. To become a NSW police officer, you must meet basic academic and physical requirements as well as pass a background check.
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Instructions
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Meet citizenship, medical and age requirements. NSW police officers must be Australian citizens or be designated by the Department of Immigration & Multicultural Affairs as permanent residents. You must be 18 years old, hold a provisional or full driver's license and pass a medical exam. You may be excluded from police training if medical testing shows that you are color blind or if your body mass index (BMI) is determined by a doctor to be over 30. Glasses and contact wearers must get a statement from a doctor listing their vision ratings, both with and without corrective vision aids. If you wear glasses, they should have polycarbonate lenses.
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Satisfy basic academic requirements. Applicants are expected to have either previous experience in police work or some university coursework. Some other education experience may be considered. You will need to submit an academic eligibility form to Charles Sturt University, who will determine whether you meet the criteria or need to make up academic deficiencies before proceeding. Download the application from the Charles Sturt website or call them at 011-61-2-6338-6077 for advice.
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Submit a Professional Suitability Application to the NSW police force. This application asks for extensive information about your background and can be downloaded from the NSW website. You may not become a police officer within 10 years of being an issued an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO), unless the order was revoked. If you have more than one traffic violation every two years of driving, your application may be rejected. Prior criminal convictions will generally exclude you from becoming a police officer, but special circumstances will be considered. You must also pass a drug test.
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Pass a physical fitness test. The Physical Capacity Test must be passed by all aspiring officers. You will be advised of the testing standards in advance, and the NSW police force recommends that you train until you can comfortably meet those standards. Running, agility and strength are all tested. You can find the current testing standards on the NSW website (see Resources).
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Obtain an Associate Degree in Policing Practice (ADPP) from Charles Sturt University. If you meet the basic academic, background, medical and physical requirements, the NSW police force may invite you to enroll in their ADPP. During your studies at Charles Sturt, you will be required to maintain all of the medical, professional and physical standards you passed during the initial application process. While earning your ADPP, you will be required to meet a number of other NSW standards, such as swimming and typing.
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References
Resources
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