27/05/2014

Hundreds Of Officers Fail Fitness Test

Hundreds of police officers throughout England and Wales have failed a fitness test that is due to become mandatory later this year, according to interim results submitted to the College of Policing.

The figures from 39 forces showed that, out of 30,000 tests, 851 officers, 253 male and 598 female, fell short of the mark.

Meanwhile, the national police lead for fitness testing, ACC Rob Price, said the results showed that the majority of the officers tested were fit.

The fitness test challenges officers to complete a 15-metre 'bleep test', which requires officers to carry out shuttle runs between two markers at a speed that gradually gets faster by the dictation of a 'bleep'.

Only Humberside and Northumbria Police boasted a 100% pass for male and female, while the worst were the West Midlands (5.8%), West Mercia and Warwickshire (5.6%) and Gwent (5.5%). The data is not available yet FOR the Metropolitan Police, Lancashire, Gloucestershire and Cumbria.

The test, which will become compulsory in September, was brought in following the recommendations of Constabulary Chief Inspector Tom Winsor.

(CVS/IT)

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