Do Police Fitness Standards Measure the Right Things?

Push-ups. Sit-ups. The mile run. These school gym class staples have become the measuring sticks for personal fitness over the years, and police departments have reflected these standards in their fitness tests. But retired Lt. Frank Borelli, Officer Media Group's editorial director, isn't sure these are effective ways to tell if an officer meets the physical demands of the job.

"What we failed to recognize then was that 'most fit' didn’t necessarily mean strongest, and even when it did, it still didn’t indicate most qualified for a given profession."

In his article, Frank looks at how the U.S. Army has changed how it evaluates fitness as it relates to a soldier's duties. And he asks, has law enforcement fitness testing similarly evolved?

Other stories this month include:

• Mentors are essential for rookie officers, providing skill development and career insight that goes beyond field training
• Proper hydration is more important to police training than you think, and dehydration and sodium loss might be undermining your skill development.
• Failure might not be an option on the street for officers, but mistakes during firearms training can be incredible teaching tools.

—Joe Vince
News Editor