Fat policemen

[SirBragalot]

AIBU to think that anyone who joins the police force should be fighting fit?
Last weekend I was walking home from shopping when a skinny guy whizzed past me at lightning speed. He was obviously running from someone. I turned around and saw two policemen chasing after him. Both of them were overweight. They were struggling to keep up and were out of breath. So I thought, good luck with catching skinny! It was not the first time I saw policemen carrying extra weight. What is going on? How are they supposed to catch up with members of the criminal underworld who are usually skinny, fit and run like cheetahs?

@Yankathebear I think OP is right. You can't be fat and unfit as a policeman - we should as society call this out, so we have a work force / protecting us. Very valid concern.
EU Police are fit, muscle bound IIRC. Quite required.

When I worked in criminal justice my clients were on the whole skinny but pretty unfit. Breaking sweat would have been a big effort for them, let alone running.

I am not sure it is unreasonable to say that police on front line duties should be fit. That isn’t related to size necessarily. This isn’t like being a “fat teacher” as someone suggested (don’t give a shit what a teacher weighs as long as they can do their job which appears mainly unrelated to weight) . Physical work is part of the job. The same should be true for any number of roles. I do a job where I had a fairly low level fitness test to start the role but could stay in it 20 years with no retest which seems crazy. If I need to be fit enough then I need to be fit enough however long I am doing the job (and tbh I probably should be more fit)

Try running in boots, trousers that are not meant for running in, body armour loaded up that also bounces as you run, give a radio commentary, work out where you are, consider the fact if you do catch them, 'am i going to end up fighting for my life alone' at the end of said foot chase, all while trying not to fall flat on your face. Plus your exhausted because its your 6th shift in a row youve ended up working unpaid overtime, youve not had a chance to eat, you have 14 outstanding crimes, youve not seen your kids for days and had bugger all sleep.

Oh @Sparklingbrook you’ve given me a laugh today! Thank you.

@Sparklingbrook brilliant comment! So funny!

ACAB

You can be overweight and actively fit, it’s not one or the other

Got that tattooed on your hairy knuckles Mucklowe?

The trolls certainly are getting more imaginative with how to start threads about fat people aren’t they

There was a dreadful thread on Gransnet a few weeks ago slagging off nurses for being fat!

Nurses, carers and doctors were dying every day and posters pointed out that this wasn't the time to be criticising nurses appearance, of all things. The whole thread was deleted.

How do they stay thin and sit in cars on stakeouts eating donuts

The policemen that I’ve had dealings with over the last couple of years have been in their twenties and built like a action movie figure. Took my breath away when three of them appeared at my house!!!

OP, I think you pose a reasonable question and I think the accusations of "police bashing" and "fat shaming" are over the top. (Generally the term fat shaming annoys me because it aims to shut down any discussion of health and weight and those subjects should not be off limits) I respect that police do a difficult job and I'm grateful for it and I get that they need to be emotionally intelligent and able to communicate and use good judgment rather than just chasing and wrestling baddies. But I would expect them to be fit so as to help in urgent emergency situations that require fitness - like pulling someone off a rail track or out of the Thames. I'm surprised that the ones I see in London don't look as if they have any kind of regular physical training as part of the job. Surely firefighters do?

Yes, we should go back to the past when they all had to be over 6 ft.

I haven’t rtft but since when does being overweight mean you’re not fit? Since when does being slim or skinny mean you’re fit?

I’m slim - not skinny- I’m also unfit as I’ve found out during lockdown. I thought I was quite fit. I can walk miles, run after 2 kids all day, keep the house and garden etc etc I’m constantly on the go and rarely feel tired. However, joe wicks nearly killed me!

I doubt I could run after anyone for more than 2 mins!

My friend on the other hand, is the same height as me but about 2 sizes bigger and she is a hell of a lot fitter

Yes, we should go back to the past when they all had to be over 6 ft.

Not sure if it applied then but my dad and godfather were police officers in the 70s/80s. Both well over 6ft, built like tanks. Foot chases more common then because walking the beat was more common. They didn't have as much equipment to carry then. They were fit, but there's still no way they were going to be as fast as some they had to chase. They used their knowledge of the area, their wits and skill to out think the criminals and head them off/trap them. Their size and weight came into it's own then. They knew local faces, knew their hideouts and used that info to catch them, rather than an endurance/speed race. And then their size to um, apprehend.
Inclined towards slashing of budgets, red tape and the general attitude towards the police being more of a reason for any decline in policing than fat coppers to be honest.

My OH couldn't get into the police because he wore glasses - that was back in the 80s. No longer an impediment to joining.

I had a friend who consistently failed the fitness test to join - she was generally very fit and healthy but just couldn't pass the running test - she passed everything else and joined the military police instead who had a slightly different fitness test.

Both would have made fine police officers. The fitness/entry requirements have been massively reduced over the years.

Also bear in mind a criminal not willing to be caught and running is fuelled by Adrenalin, they set off at high speed but flag after the first few minutes so as an officer aslong as you can keep sight of the person , they will flag and give a chance to be caught quite often.endurance is needed.
Add to the fact you have a stone of kit on, it’s very difficult.

Yes, OP, they should all look like this and base their run on T-1000.

Quite right OP
Almost all crime is solved by legging it after people and rugby tackling them. And when they get too old to outrun a 20 year old they should be sacked. And no women, wouldn't be able to get the cuffs on a really big bloke.

Justanotherneighinparadise - same! My in-laws house got burgled while they were abroad so I had plot deal with it and it was like the avengers had arrived! Bloody gorgeous....

The problem is people automatically see carrying a bit of extra weight (as you put it) with being unfit.

I know a police officer who to look at you'd probably say was a bit overweight. He is one of the fittest people I know, he goes on bike rides daily, was going to gym classes all of the time when they were open, runs, walks, swimming, played basket ball at the weekends etc. I'm slim and there's no way I'd be able to keep up with him on a run because I'm not hugely fit despite being low in weight.

Add to that all of the body gear police officers have to carry with them.

Oh and my best friend who is the absolute smallest, skinniest, person I know nearly collapses climbing a few flights of stairs because she does basically zero exercise and eats ridiculous amounts of junk, she does has a great metabolism and always has.

Skinny does not equal fit.

Oh, Fat Sweaty Coppers brought back the memories