Physical Fitness for Officers at All Levels

• NCJ Number: 192508
• Journal: Law and Order Volume: 49 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2001 Pages: 80-84
• Author(s): Carrie Rivera
• Date Published: December 2001
• Length: 5 pages
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Policy/Procedure Handbook/Manual
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article focuses on police physical fitness.

Abstract

Obesity affects one third of all adults and is the second leading cause of unnecessary deaths. Some of the diseases and conditions that accompany obesity include diabetes, joint stress, cancer, depression, increased fatal accidents, hypertension, cardiac arrest, and respiratory and digestive conditions. The functional and psychological effects of obesity are especially troubling for the law enforcement community. With the everyday stressors and pressures of being a law enforcement officer, the disease of obesity and its conditions and diseases can only heighten the danger of an already life threatening profession. Obesity can hinder a career by limiting an officer to desk duty and cause dangerous situations while on patrol. However, officers who are not obese should also maintain a fitness regime, especially as they age. While law enforcement agencies stress physical fitness during training, new officers are left to devise their own fitness and nutrition regimes around constantly changing shifts, endless overtime hours, sleep deprivation, and long periods of on the job inactivity. The New Jersey State Troopers (NJST) are expected to achieve high levels of physical fitness as recruits and are expected to maintain the same standards throughout their careers. Some departments take a portion of its members’ PBS dues and put it toward gym memberships at a nearby facility where they can work out on their own time. Some departments have their own gyms where passing a physical test can win them money. Another department gives their officers a portion of their duty time to work out. The NJST are tested annually for physical fitness. The test is the same for all troopers regardless of age or rank and must be passed to move up in rank. Those who have medical or weight problems are diagnosed well in advance of the testing date and are directed towards various resources to deal with their particular problem.