The South Australia Police (SAPOL) is the police force of the Australian state of South Australia. It is an agency of the Government of South Australia within the South Australian Department of Justice. Image File history File links Sapol_logo. ... Special Tasks and Rescue (STAR) is the Police Tactical Group of the South Australia Police. ... For the band, see The Police. ... The states and territories of Australia make up the Commonwealth of Australia under a federal system of government. ... Capital Adelaide Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 11  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $59,819 (5th)  - Product per capita  $38,838/person (7th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  1,558,200 (5th)  - Density  1. ... The form of the Government of South Australia is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then. ...

Formally established in 1839, the force is the oldest in Australasia and it is the third oldest organised Police Service in the World. Unlike other Australian police forces, which originally employed soldiers or former convicts, the South Australia Police enlisted only volunteers. This occurred because South Australia was the only free province on the continent.

The motto of the South Australia Police is: 'Keeping SA safe.'

Recruit training is conducted at Fort Largs Police Academy located in the western Adelaide suburb of Taperoo.

For ceremonial activities, crowd control and patrol duties, the SA Police always use grey horses. They are bred and trained at the Thebarton Police Barracks, just outside the central business district of Adelaide. These Police 'Greys' as they are known, are ideal for Police work as the light grey tones make the horse highly visible at night. They are also highly recognisable in the community and are often involved in community events such as leading the annual Christmas pageant and ANZAC day parade.

Structure

South Australia Police divides the State into different sectors, known as Local Service Areas.

Metropolitan Service Areas

• Adelaide LSA
  • Adelaide Station [Headquarters, South Australia Police]
  • Norwood Station
  • Hindley Street Station
  • North Adelaide Station
• Port Adelaide LSA
  • Port Adelaide Station
  • Parks Station
  • Henley Beach Station
• Adelaide Hills LSA
  • Woodside Station
  • Strathalbyn Station
  • Mt Barker Station
  • Stirling Station
• Sturt LSA
  • Sturt Station [Southern Operations Command Centre]
  • Glenelg Station
  • Malvern Station
  • Netley Station [Specialist Operations Centre - STAR Division]
  • Marion Shopping Centre Response Unit
• South Coast LSA
  • Christies Beach Station
  • Noarlunga Centre Response Unit
  • McLaren Vale Station
  • Aldinga Station
  • Victor Harbour Station
  • Kingscote Station [Kangaroo Island]
  • Goolwa Station
  • Yankalilla Station
• Holden Hill LSA
  • Holden Hill Station [Northern Operations Command Centre]
  • St Agnes Station
  • Para Hills Station
  • Golden Grove Station
  • Tea Tree Gully Station
  • Gumeracha Station
• Elizabeth LSA
  • Elizabeth Station
  • Salisbury Station
  • Two Wells Station
  • Mallala Station
  • Gawler Station

Regional Service Areas

• Far North LSA - H.Q. Port Augusta
• West Coast LSA - H.Q. Port Lincoln
• Mid West LSA - H.Q. Whyalla
• North East LSA - H.Q. Port Pirie
• Barossa - Yorke LSA - H.Q. Nurioopta
• Riverland LSA - H.Q. Berri
• Hills - Murray LSA - H.Q. Murray Bridge
• South East LSA - H.Q. Mount Gambier

Ranks

Insignia of rank displayed on epaulette in brackets. Epaulette pronunciation: ĕp-ǝ-lĕt, a French word meaning little shoulders (epaule, referring to shoulder), originally meant only one type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia or rank by military or other organizations. ...

Commissioned Officers

• Commissioner (crossed tipstaves within a wreath below a crown)
• Deputy Commissioner (crossed tipstaves within a wreath below a pip)
• Assistant Commissioner (crossed tipstaves within a wreath)
• Commander (three pips below a crown)
• Chief Superintendent (two pips below a crown)
• Superintendent (one pip below a crown)
• Chief Inspector (crown)
• Inspector (three pips)

Commissioner is a designation that may be used for a variety of official positions, especially referring to a high-ranking public (administrative or police) official, or an analogous official in the private sector (e. ... The Tipstaff has two different meanings, both somewhat related // The office of the Tipstaff is thought to be created in the 14th century. ... A crown is a symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a god, for whom the crown is traditionally one of the symbols of power and legitimacy (See Regalia for a broader treatment). ... Superintendent may refer to: Superintendent (education), an education executive or administrator Superintendent (police), a police rank Superintendent (United States Air Force), a United States Air Force position In buildings, a manager, a maintenance or repair person, a custodian or janitor. ... Inspector is a rank in many police forces. ...

Non-commissioned Officers

Senior Non-Commissioned Ranks

• Senior Sergeant (three chevrons below a crown)
• Sergeant (three chevrons)
• Brevet Sergeant (two chevrons below an inverted arrow head)

Non-Commissioned Ranks Chevron may refer to: Chevron, a V-shaped pattern seen in military or police insigna, heraldry, flag design, and architectural frets Chevron, a series of bones on the underside of the tail of reptiles Chevron Corporation, a petrochemical company Chevron Cars, an advertising campaign of the Chevron Corporation including stylized... Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organisations around the world. ...

• Senior Constable First Class (two chevrons below horizontal bar)
• Senior Constable (two chevrons)
• First Class Constable (one chevron)
• Constable (blank epaulette)
• Probationary Constable (blank epaulette)

All grades of Constable perform the same basic range of duties, with the rank only reflecting experience. The rank of Probationary Constable is held for the first fifteen months of service. A First Class Constable is qualified for promotion to Senior Constable and a Senior Constable First Class is qualified for promotion to Sergeant/Senior Sergeant. A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. ...

A Sergeant normally manages a team during a shift. A Detective Sergeant is normally in charge of a team in a specific part of CIB. A Senior Sergeant oversees the Sergeants and traditionally does more administrative work than active patrol duties.

An Inspector is in charge of a department. A Detective Inspector is normally in charge of the whole station CIB. A uniform Inspector is normally in charge of the station's operations.

A Chief Inspector commands a department at station level. A uniform Chief Inspector is in charge of all uniformed officers, regardless of their attachments to assigned areas (e.g. general duties, traffic duties etc). Some country LSA's have Chief Inspectors as the Regional Commander. A Detective Chief Inspector is in charge of all CIB related matters.

A Superintendent is a Station Commander and in some country LSA's can be a Regional Commander.

A Chief Superintendent is a Regional Commander, in charge of a region, commonly known as a Local Service Area (LSA).

A Commander is in charge of a specific branch (e.g. CIB, General Operations, STAR (Special Tactics and Rescue) Division, Public Relations Office).

An Assistant Commissioner oversees all aspects of the operational sides of policing. An Assistant Commissioner is in charge of each Operation Areas (e.g. Northern Operations, Southern Operations).

The Deputy Commissioner is the assistant to the Commissioner, who commands the force.

Equipment

Radio & MDT console

In recent years, the South Australia Police upgraded their communication and dispatch systems, in line with the newly established South Australian Government Radio Network (SAGRN).[1] The new radio network is a digitally encrypted broadcast, so amateur scanner listeners can't monitor SAPOL frequencies. Since the introduction of SAPOL onto the SAGRN, police vehicles have been fitted with new digital radios, and also Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) which replaced Keyboard Data Terminals (KDTs). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x768, 272 KB) Summary MDT / Radio console Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x768, 272 KB) Summary MDT / Radio console Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Government Radio Network (or GRN) is a system of interconnected repeater stations, mobile (vehicle mounted), portable and static radio transceivers used within Australia for secure communications. ...

The MDT is used for most policing duties carried out on vehicle patrol. Police officers are able to access a range of details about a person, along with vehicle identifications, and warnings about people and addresses. Other information including directions and road maps can be extracted from the MDT unit. The MDT is also used to task police officers to duties while on patrol.

SA Police have the use of several Field Command Vehicles which are used in a wide variety of ways, for example, as a mobile police station/unit at a large public function, or to co-ordinate search and rescues, co-ordination of police duties such as siege situations, or any other emergency situation that requires a central command post. Search and Rescue (acronym SAR) is an operation mounted by emergency services, often well-trained volunteers, to find someone believed to be in distress, lost, sick or injured either in a remote or difficult to access area, such as mountains, desert or forest (Wilderness search and rescue), or at sea...

The standard issue SA Police firearm is the Smith & Wesson Model 19 revolver in .357 magnum. CIB officers are issued with the Smith and Wesson Model 66. Other equipment issued to officers are oleoresin capsicum spray, ASP Extendable Baton and Hiatts handcuffs. Smith & Wesson NASDAQ: SWHC (S&W) is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. ... Marlin Model 1894C — a carbine in . ... Pepper spray (also known as OC spray (from Oleoresin Capsicum), OC gas, capsicum spray, or oleoresin capsicum) is a lachrymatory agent (a chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain, and even temporary blindness) that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense... It has been suggested that some sections of this article be split into a new article entitled Club (law enforcement). ... Speedcuffs in one design of holster Speedcuffs are a model of handcuff made by the British company Hiatts. ... Hiatts Speedcuffs in holster, as used by UK police A model wearing handcuffs, waist chain, and thumbcuffs Old handcuffs Handcuffs are restraints designed to secure an individuals wrists close together. ...

See also

Specialist Sections:

• Special Tasks and Rescue (STAR)

Special Tasks and Rescue (STAR) is the Police Tactical Group of the South Australia Police. ...

External links

• South Australia Police
• Department of Justice, Government of South Australia
• SAPOL vehicle pictures - Historic and present