Australian police force tempts Scottish officers to new life Down Under

The Western Australia Police Force has launched a new campaign specifically seeking applicants from the UK, Ireland and New Zealand.

Thanks to a new labour deal, police officers from overseas will be able to move to Western Australia under the employer-nominated scheme, putting them on a pathway towards citizenship.

The agreement is being seen as a “golden opportunity” by some, who are tempted by the prospect of a better lifestyle, a warmer climate, and the lure of career progression.

One Police Scotland officer told justice magazine 1919 he had already started the application process after discovering he would be able to emigrate as a result of the deal.

He said: “This is a golden opportunity because I know if I was to do it without the police, just of my own accord through visas, it’s very, very difficult to move to Australia due to the points system.

“Since they’re recruiting through the police and you’d be going into a job, it’s the correct visas so it’s like a golden ticket.”

Policing styles in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand are quite compatible with Australia’s, with the Western Australia force looking for candidates with at least three years of experience who are aged under 55, according to its Police Commissioner Col Blanch.

“We want skilled, experienced constables to work on the frontline to help us cover the biggest policing jurisdiction in the world,” he said.

One Scottish Police Federation rep told 1919 that this would not be the first time that officers from Scotland have been tempted by the chance of a new life in Australia.

“We lost some really good officers in the past to Down Under,” he said. “Some returned but many made a really good life for themselves. This is another drain on our experience.”

Last month, 1919 reported that more than 800 officers have quit Police Scotland with less than a decade of service.

The figures, obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats, showed that in the last five years, 847 quit after less than ten years of service.

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP described the loss of officers who have been trained in Scotland as a “catastrophe”.

Pauline McNeill MSP, Scottish Labour’s justice spokesperson, said: “The pay and conditions of our police force are declining so severely that more and more police may be tempted to move abroad for work.”

Jamie Greene, justice spokesperson for the Scottish Conservatives, said this should act as a warning to the government, adding: “Now the SNP run the risk of losing more talented and hardworking officers to the other side of the world as they plan to impose more terrifying cuts on our police.”

But Justice Secretary Keith Brown said policing continues to be a priority for the Scottish government.

He told 1919: “Police officers play a vital and valued role and we have recognised that by ensuring they are the best paid in the UK. The basic starting salary of a constable is higher in Scotland than in England and Wales – as is the maximum salary.

“Despite UK Government austerity, we have increased police funding year-on-year since 2016/17 and have invested more than £10 billion in policing since the creation of Police Scotland in 2013.

“Police Scotland has welcomed around 900 new recruits this year and we have a higher number of officers per head of population than England and Wales and more officers now than in March 2007.”

Police Scotland has been contacted for comment.