In 1997, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted a study that looked at forty cases of “serious assault” against a law enforcement agency member nationwide. Of the fifty-two officers involved in the incidents, forty-seven self-identified as being in “excellent” health at the time. Each of these officers were involved in some type of physical fitness program, typically weightlifting and/or running. In these incidences of “serious assault,” law enforcement officers regularly accredited their surviving the incidence to their maintaining a high level of physical fitness. (Pinizzotto, et al, 2006)
Facts About Police Physical Fitness
To become a police officer, all candidates have to attend and graduate from a police academy. As part of their training at the academy, physical fitness is highly stressed to the cadets. At the police academy, cadets are required to pass one or two physical fitness tests, depending on the state and law enforcement agency. Each test is designed to both assess and challenge the cadet's physicality and resiliency. The first test is some type of obstacle course to be determined by the academy directors, that tests the cadet's ability to conduct job specific tasks, such as climbing a fence and sprinting over urban terrain. The second test is one developed by the Cooper Institute that consists of one minute of push-up, one minute of sit-up, a one and a half mile run, and a 400 meter sprint. (Cooper Institute) However, once the cadets have passed their fitness test and graduated from the police academy, a police officer is not required to maintain those fitness standards. (Quigley, 2008)
As a result, in the criminal justice system, police officer's physical fitness is being called into question. Th...
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Klick, J., & Tabarrok, A. (2005). Using Terror Alert Levels to Estimate the Effect of Police on Crime. The Journal of Law and Economics, 48(1), 267-279.
Pinizzotto, A., Davis, E., & III, . M. (2006). Violent Encounters: A Study of Felonious Assaults on Our Nation’s Law Enforcement Officers. Washington D.C.: Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Chief Concerns. Police Use of Force: The Essentials of Officer Aftercare. Anderson, Beverly J. 2005. http://www.mpeap.com/staff/bevarticle1.pdf
They must be physically fit because they must pass an exam that is similar to military and law enforcement physical aptitude tests. Candidates without a formal education may qualify if they have three years of specialized experience and training. This generally only applies to former military and law enforcement personnel who have experience interviewing people, conducting surveillance, carrying out investigations and organizing
In the article, “Undulation Training for Development of Hierarchical Fitness and Improved Firefighter Job Performance,” a research was conducted when a critical problem emerged from the extraordinary job risks of firefighting. In this article, it was recognized that firefighting was a high risk occupation in which many activities were life threatening. Yearly incidences brought on from these life-threatening activities and conditions included cardiovascular disease from the inhalation of smoke as well as musculoskeletal injuries from the physical demands of the job. The problem was lying in the fact most fire departments were failing to adequately prepare the firefighters in terms of health and physical fitness to take on the physiologically challenging demands of the job. Now, there are contemporary training methods to boost physical fitness and cardiovascular health in order to make the firefighters “emergency prepared.” However, despite the emphasis on physiological training, previous research had shown that the traditional physical training programs were inadequate to prepare firefighters because it featured systematic physical exercises during specific mesocycles and little variety. In this research, standard resistance training, or standard training control, was compared to and put to the test against undulation training, a method to draw out a specific systematic arrangement of different physiological factors and components in order to accommodate the need for simultaneous development of physical fitness and performance needs. The purpose was to determine the influence of both types of training on muscle adaptation as well as assess how well the trainings transferred over to situations and testing areas that really utilized...
Peak, K. J. (2006). Views. In K. J. Peak, Policing America: Methods/Issues/Challenges (p. 263). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Perceptions of what constitutes a qualified police officer have been crafted as a result of numerous television shows and movies. They are often portrayed as heroic, invincible, and possessors of brute strength. While some of these physical attributes are in fact expected and required of police officers, they are not the only ones and at times, may come secondary to alternative methods, such as the use of strong communication and critical thinking skills. Policing has changed immensely since the days of resolving issues with a night stick. There is a desire for today’s police officers to possess the educational capacity to develop and implement community policing initiatives. Additionally, there exists a desire to professionalize policing. This drive for professionalism has led to the desire for increased educational requirements (Brecci, 1994).
It is a myth to believe that an officers job is spend fighting dangerous crimes, in reality officers spend more time handing smaller cases. For example, police officers spend a lot of time doing daily tasks such as giving speeding tickets and being mediators in disputes (Kappeler & Potter, 2005). Handing out speeding tickers and handling minor disputes are far from fighting crime. Police officers spend more time doing preventive measures (Kappeler & Potter, 2005). Preventive measures involve officers intervening to prevent further altercations. Victor Kappeler and Gary Potter discussed the myth of crime fighting as invalid and misleading notions of an officer’s employment.
Everyday law enforcement personal have the possibility to face dangerous events in their daily duties. In performing such duties a police officer could come by a seemingly ordinary task, and in a blink of an eye the event can turn threatening and possible deadly. When or if this happens to an officer they won’t have
Supporters of police professionalization want to raise police education requirements as the solution. Many support raising the education requirement to a four year degree. Over half of the police officers in Minnesota already have four year degrees. Additionally, some police departments already have strict education requirements, like Arlington, Texas. The Arlington, Texas Police Department has instituted a set of strict hiring standards including the possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college by every single police officer (Arlington Police Department 2013). This is quite unique, especially for the state of Texas, which only requires a high school diploma or GED for police licensure.
Walker, S., & Katz, C. (2012). Police in America: An Introduction (8th Edition ed.). New York:
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This paper will show four different police departments that are currently hiring or recruiting for police officers. There will be a summary on the research found on the process used to recruit police officers. It will also show their current hiring trends and what hiring practices they have that are successful or not successful. The paper will also go over the different methods departments use to train their new officers and their values.
Times have changed; crime has evolved into a multifaceted issue with deep seeded roots. Today, law enforcement officers have additional responsibilities with greater expectations. It is no longer just about bravery, but about the ability to make complex, legal decisions in the midst of danger and chaos. Officers are now required to complete many hours of training regarding detention, arrest, search and seizure, emergency vehicle operations and defensive tactics. Officers are trained to investigate incidents involving domestic violence, sex offenses and crimes against children.
Nice post, and well thought-out, the multiple hurdle approach is an excellent tool for the police departments to utilize to separate recruits who do not have the mental capacity and the physical ability to keep up with other recruits superior to them. When it comes to protecting our communities we want the best of the best protecting us, as well as our investments. The cognitive ability and mental stability tests are of the utmost importance, because there are going to be times when these officers will be required to make life changing split second decisions. Using both approaches multiple hurdle approach combined with compensatory model gives the greatest chance of producing top notch police
Any progress in physical fitness can help boost your capacity when working as well as the ability to respond effectively in an emergency situation.
In any given setting, police officers are responsible for maintaining order within a, sometimes overly chaotic, society. They are given the responsibility of acting as protectors of the defenseless and upholding justice, at the risk of injury to themselves or even the loss of their own life. In addition, it is inevitable that an officer will eventually come into physical contact with an individual, who may be volatile or avoiding arrest, which nonetheless increases the odds of a physical confrontation. The distressing truth is that, although being assaulted is not a requirement of their profession, it is essentially unavoidable. With that said, police officers realize this fact and readily accept the reality that at any given moment, be