Sergeant Jay Casey swapped Irvine, Ayrshire, for the Western Australian town of Coolgardie after moving in 2023 and is now helping to keep the peace in one of the most remote corners of the country. Following three months at the police academy, he took up his new post in March 2024, beginning a new chapter nearly 10,000 miles from home.
From Irvine to the Outback
Jay, 31, who was promoted to Sergeant in July, said: “I worked in Irvine for about four and a half years before I applied to come here, and I went from the nice beaches in Irvine to the outback.”
Coolgardie, a six-hour drive from state capital Perth, has a population of around 850 and falls within the Goldfields-Esperance policing district, which covers more than one million square kilometres. Jay’s station covers 19,000 square kilometres, and he is one of a six-man team, though two vacancies currently exist.
“It’s more than 300 times the size of Dundee,” he said. “It’s the same as in Scotland, the same as any policing district in the world – they are still looking for numbers, so we cover those 19,000 square kilometres with four of us.”
Recruitment and Family Life
Jay made the move through a recruitment programme which allows experienced officers from overseas, including Police Scotland, to join the Western Australia Police Force. Applicants must have at least three years’ experience with their home force.
Jay was single when he arrived but now has a nine-month-old daughter Lottie with partner Molly, 28, and another baby daughter due in December. He cited better wages and quality of life as key reasons for the move.
“Money was a big part of it. The wages here are a lot better and more liveable,” he said. “I’d say the cost of living is the same – you just earn more money here. Due to the weather, you can plan your life a bit better. Nine times out of 10, it’s what you expect, unlike in Scotland.”
Policing Differences Down Under
Jay says the job itself is not as different from policing in Scotland. Officers still deal with domestic and family violence, welfare checks and disputes between partners, while missing-person searches can become particularly challenging because of the sheer size of the area they cover. But it can be weird and wonderful work too.
“We recently had a traffic stop and the gentleman had a collection of birds in the van,” he said.
One of the biggest differences is the approach to firearms. Unlike in Scotland, where firearms duties are carried out by specially trained officers, police in Western Australia routinely carry pistols, with some receiving specialist training to use AR-15 rifles.
“The firearms legislation is different, so we’ve more people with access to firearms,” he said. “There are landowners and people who go shooting, so as officers we all carry pistols. Some of us have specialist training on AR-15s as well and use them regionally, most often to euthanise animals that have been suffering after being hit by cars, like kangaroos or horses. However, they can also be used on certain search warrants where we have to surround a house with guns.”
Jay believes routinely carrying firearms can provide officers with an additional level of protection. He said: “In Scotland, at one point I was the only Taser officer on shift, and you’d be going to knife calls and you would be the only person there with any ability to intervene. But even then, Tasers are not foolproof. They’ve been shown in the past to fail, for example if someone has baggy clothing on.”
Life and Wildlife in Australia
Jay admits he feels safer working as an armed officer in Australia, despite the country’s reputation for dangerous wildlife. He said: “There is the common misconception about the wildlife. Since I’ve been here, I’ve not seen one snake. I did catch a huntsman spider in the bath but they are not dangerous. You just need to be prepared to deal with a decent-sized spider.”
“But the worst thing about Australia is the flies. They’re the worst thing in the world – hell on Earth. When you’re out in the bush and dealing with a job, flies will be in your eyes and your mouth if you forget your fly net. They are much worse than midges. With midges, you can just put some mosquito repellent on, but flies here will coat your face.”
Born in Kilmarnock, Jay spent time in foster care and homeless hostels. He said: “I didn’t grow up wanting to be a cop. It was never something I thought I’d get the opportunity to do. I grew up in Kilmarnock on the scheme. My mum was a heroin addict. I didn’t have any qualifications when I left school, so the only way I could get away from that socioeconomic upbringing was to join the Army.”
He joined the Army at 16 and served for just about eight years with the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, known as 2 SCOTS, before joining the police. “Then I decided I wanted something new and to build a life outside the Army. I thought that the natural progression, given I had kept myself out of trouble and didn’t have a criminal record, was to give the police a shot.”
