Police Fitness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Police Fitness - Essay Example Physical fitness required for policing consists of general fitness and job specific fitness. Canadian Mounted Policing (and other Canadian police forces) requires horsemanship skills as much of the 'Mounties' policing is done on horseback. Local forces are returning to the use of horses for policing. Many police organizations in Canada require a basic level of fitness be maintained by officers/constables. Many officers are required to perform foot patrol, bicycle patrol, or horse patrol. Obviously these types of police work require a higher level of fitness than is required for equivalent patrol in an automobile or desk work. Officers of the Peel Regional Police are required to pass a fitness test with an overall score of 75% (Peel Police, 2007). Potential police that pass the tests (and a rigorous written and psychological exam) are recommended to attend the Ontario Police College. Officers are also required to maintain the physical fitness level at 75% or above to keep their positions In addition to basic fitness testing police forces use an incentive program to promote a higher level of fitness for their officers. Officers/Constables are encouraged to exercise on their own to meet the higher standards that result in recognition from their organizations. Police organizations assist the officers by providing exercise facilities with exercise machines, free weights, treadmills, and stair-steppers. It is the officer's responsibility to schedule workouts and exercise on their own time. Officers who choose to maintain a high-level of physical fitness are rewarded with public recognition, award pins and certificates, and prime policing jobs such as bike patrol. In Toronto officers are rewarded with fitness pins, and consideration for special units such as the Emergency Task Force or Marine Units. Another unwritten incentive is to keep ahead of criminals who spend much of their time in prison working out lifting weights, etc Physically fit officers have a personal commitment to stay fit. Constables in Toronto's 51st division often exercise before the beginning of their shift. The 51st is made up of officers on mountain bikes. These officers spend up to ten hours a day patrolling the streets of Toronto. They are on their bikes up to 80% of the time (Savin, 2007). A look at a photo of the 51st division's bikers shows a very physically fit group of officers. This group spends about an hour of their own time exercising everyday (Savin, 2007). Many Canadian police organizations require that officers compete for coveted bicycle patrol slots. This means that officers need to push themselves past the basic level of fitness required to be an officer/constable. Again, this means officers spend some of their personal time exercising and preparing for the competition. Most of these policing organizations have built exercise facilities for their officers. No one is required to use the facilities but many officers spend much of their free time using these facilities. Many bicycle patrol officers focus on using free-weights or resistance training because much of their cardio-respiratory fitness is accomplished on the job. Many officers/constables compete in regional, national, and international