Dorset

If you want to join WAPOL soon you better get your app in. Apps for 2009 - 2010 close on the 7th December this year (2008) see WAPOL site under international applicants.
My app should be completed and in by the morning. Good luck all!

Smudge73

Hi all. I'm currently a slave to Greater Manchester Police and have submitted applications to SAPOL and WAPOL.
Never been to Oz and am doing this with my eyes wide shut!
Been doing lots of reading though and SAPOL does not come out well. Know of two people who left my division recently to become police in Oz. One went to WAPOL and loves it. One went to SAPOL and can't wait to come back.
Now, am I missing something or does this set off a few alarm bells?
Can't comment myself but all this feedback is painting a pretty one sided picture. Anyone have any thoughts?
I'm in London for the SAPOL exam on Wed 7th Jan 09. Still going to go for the experience if nothing else.
If anyone else is going down from Manchester and wants to hook up or can offer me any advice at all please get in touch.
Cheers and good luck to anyone applying!
Paul

brentus

Smudge, I've sent you a pm

familyof4

My hubby has got his Entrance test on tuesday he is in GMP too, but i have to say after reading this post i am reluctant to go!!

My bubble has been truly burst we will be moving with 2 kids and i dont want to loose everything i have worked so hard for over the last 10 years, to find out its exactly like what people have said.

I'm so confused now!!

TZracer

To all sitting the SAPOL exam this Wednesday, I hope all goes well. My family has finally given approval and I'm submitting my application to NSW Police this week after some careful deliberation and research. It was a toss up between WAPOL and NSW and NSW won, I did consider NT but only for a sort time, but a recent NSW police recruiting campaign did it for me. Who's to say they will be any better, but I have to get out of here as it's driving me nuts.
A recent survey by UniSA shows that SAPOL front line officers are suffering levels of Psychological distress enough to warrant treatment and they go on to say more than 100 officers surveyed had submitted a worker comp claim for 'stress' at least once. I can account for that personally. I've been policing a long time compared to others and can say I've worked in other police services and I've never felt the way I do about the job these days. All this (UniSA survey)can be read online in the SA Police Journal at : Journal.pasa.asn.au
Also read the 'Last shift' most of those leaving are retiring this month, but some others who bothered to write in are leaving for other Departments or just heading home.
Just on a quick note and some food for thought, SAPOL consider half of your service for pay/promotion and positions, WAPOL consider year for year and you can leave the Academy a Senior Constable, then as a Senior Constable you can apply for 2 ranks higher with no other exams, that's Sergeant and Senior Sergeant, Inspector is an exam. In SAPOL that's not happening, even when you get to Senior Constable and it's possible to attain S/C about 2 years after arriving now. Then you must pass an exam after gaining a Diploma of Policing then apply and be accepted onto a Sergeant's course and once you have all that out the way (about. 3-4 years from reaching S/C) you can apply with all the others for a Sergeant's spot, if one is available, oh yeah they only take who they want for the Sergeants course too, no reason has to be given if they don't accept you, just you didn't meet the requirements. NSW advised me they will consider all I have achieved in both services and I will attain Senior Constable after Probation then Sergeant is only an exam.
Again, I hope all goes well for those planning the trip to Oz. If nothing else it's an experience.

Smudge73

Brentus,
Hi, system won't let me access my pm as I don't have enough posts!
After careful thought and several sleepless nights I've decided to withdraw my SAPOL application and won't be attending the exam in London. I get the impression I'd be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. With all the feedback I've gathered it's now a no brainer for me. Gonna keep everything crossed that WAPOL get in touch and I'll be throwing all my efforts at that application. If you're going down on Wednesday, good luck!

brentus

Smudge, my collar number is 8568, please email me your email address as I'm quite interested in what you have found out. Cheers

familyof4

My wife recently joined this site and on reading through the texts, I myself feel a bit demotivated about what has been said about SAPOL. I applied last year and failed the application because I failed the fitness test, so naturally I wasn't happy. But I applied this year and will go through the process again because I feel that this is the right step. Now if all that I have read is true then I will have to re-evaluate my choices. But I also feel the same way about GMP. Their sickness process isn't that much different from SAPOL's; without the 'getting rid of long term sick'. The only reason why GMP can't do this is because of the ECHR; something which Australia doesn't suffer from. Im sure that GMP would start doing this if the ECHR didn't exist.

I have 2 friends/colleagues who have took the plunge and moved over to SAPOL. The first one moved over around 3 to 4 years ago and recently came back for a social gathering. I spoke with him and he can't praise the choice he made enough. The second one moved over just over a year ago and is of the same frame of mind. I also have 2 friends/colleagues who moved to WAPOL 2 years ago and are a bit unsure about their choice. One of them says it's ok but a bit backwards and the other is considering a move to another job.

Smudge, if you have any further info about SAPOL, that isn't good, please email me; I would love to know what this is. My collar number is 16522. But if I was you, I would still consider attending the exam on Wed. You could still drop out later if you find out any other info. I am standing on the fence with this and I am still going to attend the exam on Tuesday. As I have only just started to read this website, I haven't had chance to speak with my friends over there about it. I have sent on an email and endeavour to speak to the other. If I find out any info on this, I will be sure to post it.

Good luck to all of you who are applying for any austalian police service. Fingers crossed for you all

Smudge73

I'm only going off what I've read on various forums and direct feedback from people who have made the move recently. No reason to think anyone is winding me up and noted the negative feedback was starting to outweigh the positive.

Just comparing West and South, firstly is the issue of starting salary. I've been enduring this crap for seven years now and West will recognise the best part of this and reward it with an increased starting salary (about £4k more than South).

West won't tie you in with the threat of taking your visa off you if you leave the Police during the first few years, South will.

Not sure of the detail but big changes in South in respect of sick pay. Bottom line is if you're off long term sick you're screwed. Not so in the West and no plans to change this.

Huge difference in overall retention rates for bobbies who transfer from UK. It's something crazy like 80% for the West where South only manage 40%.

In terms of the staffing levels, crazy PI requirements and general red tape the South seem to mirror things here at GMP. It doesn't work here and by all accounts is no better there. Now that in itself wouldn't bother me if I wasn't being held prisoner to there visa regulations. However, it means I'd be forced to put up with the same crap, starting all over again and can't throw the towel in and look for another job unless I want to come back to Blighty.

At least in the West I have the option of seriously looking through the jobs paper if I want out. Although the feedback is more positive from here.

Also, if it was just me going I'd be doing a lot less thinking and taking more of a gamble. However, I've got my family to think about and don't want to relocate us all to the opposite side of the globe and let them settle before coming out with 'nope, it's not for me. We're on the move again.'

Lastly, I was meant to sit the exam today and watching the news this morning I see the trains to Euston are not running due to a line fault. This would have totally buggered things up and I would have been late and missed the exam for sure! Not one to believe in fate, but hey, was it a sign?

Anyway, don't want to put anyone else off. Just sharing my findings and thoughts. I've thrown all my eggs in one basket now and have everything crossed that WAPOL drop me a line and it's good news!

Best of luck to everyone, no matter where you're applying. Hope we all get what we want!

midlands

Hi all. I sat this exam on Tue just. How cold was that room!

Does anyone have any more specific dates for the next stage (physical and interview) as currently it covers a two week block on the web site, which may prove difficult to organise in terms of leave/courses etc.

Fingers crossed to all!

familyof4

I know i was cold too my hands were freezing! Fingers crossed the ball ache to get there was worth it!!

When i went through it last year, we were told on a certain date when we were through (which is the 18th February this year) then asked which date we preferred to go for the interview and fittness test, and then they replied to tell you which date you got, that was it really, you got the date and went.

Fingers crossed for you.

Phil

midlands

Cheers dude. It was a long day, but like you say hopefully it is eventually all worth it.

I hate the waiting now.

Good luck.

familyof4

Which police service are you??

Just try not to think about it and before you know it, it'll be here.

Phil

midlands

West Mids. Yeah fingers crossed. Nothing we can do now I guess. It`s in the hands of fate/the gods/luck etc.

brentus

just got email from wapol saying they're not processing applications until after the end of this financial year!