NCJ Number
195915
Journal
Sheriff Volume: 54 Issue: 4 Dated: July/August 2002 Pages: 26-29,60
Editor(s)
Mike Terault
Date Published
2002
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article addresses current entrance-level physical training programs for law enforcement across the Nation and the introduction of a new approach for establishing lifelong wellness habits by incorporating “best practices” into these training programs, with a special focus on the Maryland Police Corps.
Abstract
Most entry-level law enforcement training academies through the United States employ numerous hours of physical training as a key component in their program. However, law enforcement must also be concerned with physical fitness in terms of long-term health or “wellness” (the state of being in good health as an actively sought goal). Agencies should incorporate “best practices” into their entry-level physical training program. It is suggested that this can be accomplished through contemporary exercise-science instruction and mandating physical training standards. The Maryland Police Corps, a Federal program designed to address violent crime by using officers with advanced education and training, began an enhancement to their law enforcement entrance-level physical training in 2002. The Maryland Police Corps took a scientific approach to physical training, modernizing the methodology used to train police recruits and hiring an ACSM-certified health-fitness instructor. The goal is to prepare an officer, within his/her genetic potential, to perform the job for the “long haul” in good health. This can be best accomplished by using existing exercise science, technology, and the experience of knowledgeable experts in the industry.