Do cops have to stay within a weight limit like flight attendants?

Question

Do cops have to watch their weight? I have seen some friggin huge cops out there that if they had to run a block, they would probably fall down dead.

Answer 1

My dept doesn't have one. I do agree with you, it's not just that they can't catch a runner, it's that they look like a slob in their uniform. Officer presence is very important.....I was taught that if you look like a slob, people will treat you with less respect. I don't work out like a crazy man, but I stay in good shape.

But in defense of my larger fellow officers.....you have to remember that our schedule sometimes makes it very hard to work out. After the stress of working an 8, 10, or 12 hr shift you just don't have the energy sometimes......throw kids into the mix and you lose even more needed personal time.

Answer 2

Police officers don't have a weight limit, once they pass the academy, get hired and be working as a police officer for years, they start eating too much free food from McDonald's. Trust me, I work there, I see so many fat cops come in through drive-through it's not even funny. All the young skinny cops that I've seen go across the street to Subway. Also, agreeing with the fact that they do work a lot and it's hard for the older guys. I don't know why anyone would want to run from the police, cause if those fat cops do get you, you're going to be hurting. Also, as cops do get older, they usually tend to slow down from the beat and do desk jobs and detective work also being promoted to corporal, and Sergeant, etc. I've seen many skinny police officers and the problem is, if they get a big tall fat guy they have to take to the ground, it's gonna be hard. I think they should have a weight limit, just simply because if they did have to run after a criminal and they fail to catch them because of their weight, and the criminal kills someone after the chase, that wouldn't make the police look good.

Answer 3

You have to have a certain BMI appropriate to your height/activity level when joining the police which is monitored during your first 2 years. This is to avoid being discriminatory only technically in place to allow only healthy employees join the pension scheme.
In reality cops need to be fit which should mean they are a good weight for there height. It can in some forces be enforced and even lead to an officers dismissal if they dont make efforts to lose weight

Answer 4

Evidently not. In Denver I've seen some cops who barely fit in the car. I think it's like teachers, once they've been there a certain number of years they go to pot. Kind of like tenured professors.

Answer 5

We'll, when they wen't to police academy they were probably in decent shape, because you need be in decent shape to be a cop. Yeah, the younger cops are in shape because, they're newer. The older cops are all out of shape.

Answer 6

most depts in the USA have a weight limit according to your height and its also that way to pass police academies as well the older fat guys are more less went to school when there was no or very little excersice to get onto a dept alot of people call it grandfathering in the dept

Answer 7

Yes, there are rules and regs. in the books about this matter, but it seems like most depts. don't enforce them, judging by the appearence of some cops.

Answer 8

To graduate from any academy officers have to pass a physical fitness test. Once that is done, it is up to the individual departments to keep their officers in shape. Some departments do have a yearly physical fitness test, most do not.

Answer 9

years ago when I was in that line of work we had to-------now the country is so hard up for cops they pretty hire you if you can breathe. It is soooooooo wrong------this field needs to have people in good physical conditions.

Answer 10

by the looks of it i don't think so. there are a lot of fat *** cops out there. i can't image them running to have to catch the bad guys