Police face gym tests

EVERY police officer in Scotland will have to undergo regular fitness tests under plans to get overweight staff into shape, The Scotsman has learned.

Chief constables want to introduce routine fitness checks for serving officers, which will see police undertake a series of tests such as running, step-ups and cycling.

They have also agreed to bring in tough new fitness standards for every new recruit to banish the image of the overweight, PC Murdoch-style officer.

Scotland's eight police forces already have their own fitness tests for new officers. Recruits then undergo intensive physical training during a 15-week course at the Scottish Police College in Tulliallan, Fife.

New officers have to maintain a certain level of fitness during their two-year probation. But there are no procedures to check their fitness once they have completed it, and concerns have been growing among senior managers that some are letting themselves go.

Andrew Cameron, chief constable of Central Scotland Police, who is leading the new training regime for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, said there were no existing fitness tests for serving police.

He said: "Police officers have to carry an awful lot of extras - CS spray, batons, handcuffs and heavy body armour.

"We want to have the same standard of fitness for new recruits in every force.

"In the longer term we want to move towards regular fitness testing of serving officers.

"Officers are supposed to maintain a certain level of fitness during their first two years but the reality is after that there is nothing in the current set up that requires officers to go through regular testing.

"We want to move towards this but we appreciate we will have to consult with the Police Federation and other staff associations.

"We want to ensure the workforce is equipped physically and psychologically to deal with what is a highly demanding job.

"We recognise the importance of a healthy lifestyle and a proper work-life balance. We are already seeing a drop in absenteeism through illness and injury.

Mr Cameron said the tests would not be confined to front-line officers.

"We certainly want to look at fitness testing for people in the operational environment. But as officers based in an office regularly transfer into operational duties and then back into their area of specialist work, we want to look towards a basic level of fitness for all staff.

"There is no evidence people who are overweight cannot do their job properly but the job of policing is increasingly difficult and we want to have as healthy and fit a workforce as possible."

Also working on the project is Andrea Sillars, the human resources director for Northern Constabulary, who said that Glasgow Caledonian University was carrying out research to establish a suitable standard of fitness for new and existing officers.

She said it would be up to each force to decide which test they used on officers.

"It could be they are tested through running, shuttle running, cycling or step-ups. There are lots of ways to test an officer's fitness.

"At the moment the public perception is that the police are like the fire service, which has routine fitness tests for officers. But that's not the case."

Rank-and-file police representatives last night voiced concern at the move.

Raymond Pratt, secretary of the Strathclyde branch of the Scottish Police Federation, said: "I can understand the sentiments behind it, but we need to see a lot more detail. It sounds like they are trying to rid the service of officers they think shouldn't be there, because they are perceived as overweight and unfit.

"If they bring this in it will have to be across the board. I would like to see the chief officers undertake the test."

How new recruits are put through their paces

MEMBERS of the police training branch in each regional force conduct the fitness test for all new recruits.

At Lothian and Borders Police, this consists of a combination of press-ups (to exhaustion), sit-ups (for two minutes), 100-metre sprint (timed) and a 1.5-mile run (timed). Applicants are assessed on effort and performance.

At Strathclyde Police, the assessment involves measuring blood pressure, lung capacity, percentage body fat (BMI), suppleness, strength and stamina. In addition, applicants have to complete a 1.5-mile run within 15 minutes as part of the selection process.

New recruits attend a 15-week course at the Scottish Police College at which they perform a final fitness test. Based on the Loughborough fitness test, it focuses on strength and stamina. Individual forces decide if candidates meet required standards.