SAPOL loses 199 cops in first nine months of financial year – and recruit 207

SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens has revealed exactly how many cops have left the force in recent months – and how many have been recruited.

Nearly 200 SA Police officers have left the force since mid-2023, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens has revealed – and 207 have been recruited.

Mr Stevens told parliament’s Budget and Finance committee on Monday he was concerned by the current attrition rate of 5.2 per cent.

“Obviously, a loss of expertise and experience has a direct impact on how we provide our services to the community and how we support new officers entering the force,” he said.

Of the 199 police officers that left between July 2023-March 2024, there were 98 who resigned, 88 retirements and 13 who left for other reasons such as injury or termination.

Mr Stevens said 207 police had been recruited in the same period – part of a target to recruit 300 each year.

“We are confident that, by recruiting 300 police a year, we will be able to address the shortfall and return to establishment,” he said.

The current shortfall of officers is sitting at about 210.

SA Police also revealed the cost of relocating the Thebarton barracks has blown out to an estimated $153m – nearly $40m higher than a relocation budget figure given in September 2023.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens fronted parliament’s Budget and Finance Committee on Monday. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

Assistant Commissioner Noel Bamford said current budget approval was at “about $138m”, and the $15m shortfall was being considered by the Department of Treasury and Finance.

“We are continuously reviewing the costs, and packages or parcels of funding are being provided to us as they go through that process,” he said.

Mr Bamford said the new Gepps Cross facility was under construction, and police were on track to vacate the Thebarton barracks in October.

He said arrangements for the police band were still being finalised, with police looking to co-locate them at the Gepps Cross site.

“One of the reasons why it has taken so long is we explored all other opportunities to use existing facilities, converting warehouses and things like that, but we have reached a conclusion that the best outcome would be to locate them on police property in a purpose-built facility, and that’s what we are working through at the moment,” he said.