To feel our police officers should be in better shape?

[waddlecakes]

Seriously, I was watching one of those UK Police style programmes and it's like you'll have a criminal jump out of a car and vault over garden walls, and you've just got these 5'5'' overweight police officers trotting along after them, heaving and panting, calling for back-up. It's not just a TV thing either, I can't remember the last time I saw tall, really fit looking police officers knocking about.

Does the police force not have any standards or what?

I think Waddle may have a sock on each hand.

It's utterly pointless arguing with people like this because they don't want a debate they just want to goad and get a reaction.

There is no point expending the energy to educate people who make sweeping statements based on something they've seen on television.

It's a disciplined organisation and is down to the individual to make sure they are fit for the role they have, in my opinion

This is right at the end of the day.

Well, yes, but as many other posters have said most forces don't in any provide the time or facilities to assist their staff in keeping fit. Many officers barely have time to eat during a 10 hour shift, so it's all quick, sugary, crappy food to keep them going. If the police want beat police officers to stay fit, they need to help them.

But the OP is obviously oblivious to policing, and unwilling to listen

In the past couple of years the police have seen their pensions slashed, retirement age extended, starting pay reduced, a freeze on recruitment let alone the myriad daft and often conflicting targets they are supposed to achieve. They work long and often anti-social hours, potentially putting themselves at risk daily and can have their leave cancelled and not re-scheduled at no notice if necessary (like in the riots).

Give. Them. A. Break.

UnexpectedStepmum ......you said all I wanted to say so well .

Thank you .

Thankyou for that unexpected.

My DH is asleep on my lap. He is a level 2 public order sergeant and has been drafted on the fracking. If you read the papers about it a few weeks ago, his face was plastered all over the nationals. Every single one.

He hasn't has a day off since the 25th july and is now, like every other uniform officer in sussex police, working 12 hour days for 6 days on the trot for every set of shifts for the foreseeable future. Today he booked on at 5am and booked off at 8.30pm. Tomorrow, thursday and friday he is working a "night shift" of 6pm to 9am. He should have 3 days off at the weekend, chances are he'll be ordered to work. He's utterly exhausted.

So yeah, one does get a bit defensive.

My dh is a copper and seriously fit

He often comments on some coppers who are very out of shape.
It applies to other professions too tho.
I used to work on a residential unit for remanded teens who were often violent to staff. I was not reassured by the presence of some if my colleagues who were morbidly obese chain smokers who wouldn't have been much help had I been attacked.

As LuisSuarezTeeth said, all that body armour makes them look bigger. I had the police out to my house last week as something awful happened to my daughter, the female officer joked she 'was a size 4 under all this' and the only reason she doesn't eat cheese and brownies all day is because she has fitness tests, I'm sure most police are fully able to chase criminals, even if they are carrying a few extra pounds

Forget overweight police officers, what about unfit security guards. The one at my work place looks about 9 months pregnant. How is he supposed to chase criminals :-\

Posted too soon
I see overweight police officers all the time now. Do you think that the reduced police budget is affecting their fitness regimes. Also, there seems to be more unfit security guards so ate the overweight police becoming unfit security staff?

I think overweight and unfit are two very different things. My husband probably looks overweight and probably is, but he is incredibly fit despite all the paperwork!! DH does running and everything, and in his force they are required to do fitness tests too, so he can't really be unfit
Unexpected said it perfectly, and ohdear I hope your DH gets time off soon, I remember the protests here and mine did similar. It's tough, not just for them.

You think Police are overweight.? ... You should see the state of the majority of our Naval personnel!

Haha, how can you get defensive Cos your DH is police, if he don't like he's job there's plenty, plenty young men and women who would happily take on a career in the police, and many would be more than fit enough. Also loads of self employed people work 12 hour days and never take time off for themselves .

Were you researching for this article, OP?

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/war-fat-blue-line-unhealthy-5749276

Have you ever worn a stab vest then tried to run...didn't think so. I am very proud of our police force and the work they do the majority of it unseen and unrecognised.

There is more to being a police officer than being fit.

Have a

crypes fabulous contribution in terms of both reasoned content and delivery.
Well done. Here, have my first ever

We seem to have had this same thread so many times in so many different guises. Someone starts the thread saying I was blah and I think police should be blah. Loads of police, police staff or police spouses come on the thread and explain why whatever the op has come up with isn't the case. Then other people just come on to join in with nasty comments about the police, there's always an ex forces one that could put whatever all officers in the history of the world and then it just turns into a mudslinging match.

All a bit dull really. I'm sure all the police officers on here know they work hard are as fit as they can be and feel they do their best in their role.