ADELAIDE – Jag Singh Malhi becomes the first South Australian Police Academy graduate to wear an official-issue turban when he joined western Adelaide police.
Outgoing Police Commissioner Mal Hyde presided over his final graduation ceremony – welcoming Probationary Constable Malhi, the first Sikh graduate, among 40 overseas and interstate recruits.
The group, including 38 UK officers, one New Zealander and one officer from NSW, will join their South Australian colleagues across the state.
Prob-Constable Malhi moved to South Australia after 6½ years serving as a police officer in New Zealand.
He is now one of about 600 international officers recruited by SA Police after being turned down by both Victorian and NSW Police because he was not an Australian citizen.
Prob-Constable Malhi said he expected to face challenges as one of only two Sikh officers – his comrade joined SA Police earlier – but hoped his recruitment would encourage others.
“Being one of the Sikh police officers here, I think more will join and more people from other communities will look at it and (SA Police) will be more culturally diverse,” he said.
“In New Zealand as the first police officer to have the turban on I faced some challenges but … being a police officer in itself is a challenge.
Commissioner Hyde said he was “a bit nostalgic” after the ceremony – 3500 officers have graduated from the SA academy since he became Commissioner in 1997, when there were just 3000 serving officers.
He added the international recruiting program had done more than just fill ranks by bringing exposure and experience and different cultural insights to the job.
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