FITNESS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT - Eastern Michigan University.pdfVIP

Police Staff and Command E.M.U. Class #14 FITNESS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT Brandon Williams Pittsfield Township Police Department September 20, 2002 ABSTRACT Police academies instill proper physical fitness and training as part of their requirements for graduation. Physical strength and agility are tested and a passing score is required even before entry is granted into an academy. It seems that most police departments quickly forget or lose interest in maintaining healthy officers, yet they wonder why their officers have such high stress and often die much earlier than those working in other professional fields. Statistics suggest that police officers have increased risk of premature death and may be more vulnerable to certain diseases, thus increasing the importance of implementing a fitness routine and living a healthy lifestyle. Most studies indicate that law enforcement officers die at earlier ages than expected for the general population for all causes of death, and in particular for diabetes, colon cancer, and cardiovascular disease. The high suicide rate for police officers may be related to the amount of stress associated with police work in general. Some of the topics that have a direct correlation with police officers and a healthy lifestyle are: officer confidence, morale, work related injuries, amount of sick time used, and the ability to handle oneself in a violent confrontation. There is a strong relationship between physical fitness and police officers performing at their optimum levels, on and off the streets. This paper will address this relationship, along with recommendations for implementing fitness standards and programs for today’s law enforcement officers. Research from magazine articles, books, newspapers, and the Internet will explore solutions to the serious