When contacting police due to a break-in or assault, citizens reasonably anticipate that responding officers possess adequate physical condition to pursue and apprehend offenders promptly and safely. Deploying overweight or lethargic personnel unable to execute this fundamental duty would disappoint both the public and those officers themselves.
A “Job Related Fitness Test” has been established to confirm officers maintain sufficient physical capability to assist the public during emergencies. Originally the assessment comprised both a bleep test and a push-pull strength evaluation. Currently only the bleep test remains, which requires shuttle running between two lines positioned fifteen metres apart, reaching each line before the audible signal. The intervals between signals decrease as the test advances, necessitating accelerated pace. The passing threshold stands at 5.4, corresponding to approximately 525 metres covered in three minutes thirty-five seconds, achieving a maximum velocity of 10 kmh. This evaluates cardiovascular endurance rather than pure strength or speed, which though significant do not mirror everyday policing duties.
Identical standards apply to all personnel, whether new recruits or current officers. No concessions exist for age or gender. While challenging for older or less capable individuals, achieving this level remains possible with reasonable fitness. I have personally undertaken this assessment; it demands moderate exertion over a brief duration. However, certain officers, through circumstances beyond their control, cannot attain this standard, and some positions do not necessitate it.
Policing encompasses numerous forms including response duties, community policing, investigative and intelligence work, plus specialized functions such as public order and armed operations. Each position demands vastly different competencies, experience and fitness standards. For instance, a homicide detective rarely pursues a fleeing suspect down a street, and encountering such a scenario in my final posting would indicate serious problems.
Because officers carry warrant cards and the Office of Constable, the potential to suddenly sprint or control an aggressive individual always exists, though this represents a daily necessity for very few. Those in less active positions tend to be more experienced and consequently older. Some bear occupational injuries sustained throughout their careers.
The appropriateness of the fitness test has undergone examination since 2020, when the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs’ Council determined insufficient evidence demonstrated it accurately reflected physical demands of personal safety training, which was its intended purpose. A subsequent review established that safety training had extended in duration but reduced in intensity, suggesting the fitness minimum should be decreased. Another assessment proposed applying the current 5.4 level solely to new recruits while expecting serving officers to reach level 3. Senior police leaders declined this suggestion but commissioned additional research.
Last week reports indicated this latest review has finished, with Chief Constables scheduled to examine findings next year. Why such delay proves necessary remains unclear, though I join others including staff associations and the Disability Police Association in hoping recommendations become more sophisticated and representative of actual roles, age, gender and capability rather than applying identical standards universally. After extensive deliberation, surely change will emerge from what one Police Federation representative labeled an “annual oxygen intake test” toward something encouraging overall health and wellness while evaluating officers based on genuine physical capabilities and role realities.
No one wishes to encounter severely overweight police officers in any capacity, and holding a warrant card brings specific powers and expectations, making appropriate fitness levels essential. Yet for those in less street-facing positions, requiring identical standards to colleagues potentially young enough to be their children seems unreasonable.
The police service represents a broad, varied organization where role requirements and thus performance capabilities differ substantially. Allow the fitness test to mirror this reality rather than functioning merely as an exaggerated sprint.