Police fitness test 'is biased in favour of fat male officers'

[jimmy olsen]

Speaking of biased, hello Daily Mail!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2415777/Police-fitness-test-biased-favour-fat-male-officers-forces-women-endure-sexist-conditions.html#ixzz2eStzsr8T

Police fitness test 'is biased in favour of fat male officers' because it prioritises strength and forces women to endure 'sexist' conditions

Fat men have a much better chance of passing a police fitness test than slim women, a scientist has warned.

The 'fat-friendly' test given to new recruits could contribute to the problem of blobby bobbies if extended to serving officers under plans to modernise forces.

Professor Craig Jackson said this could erode public confidence and put officers' lives in danger.

His research found the Gender-neutral Timed Obstacle Course, or GeNTOC, was biased in favour of men.

The Birmingham City University academic said: 'If you are an overweight male officer, it is a shoo-in. If you are a female officer, you are nearly nine times more likely to fail this test than a male candidate.'

He added men found the test – a timed obstacle course with eight challenges – easier than women, regardless of their weight, because they were stronger, faster and had more stamina.

For example, women found it difficult to drag a weighted dummy in a challenge intended to simulate moving a dead body.

Women also fared worse than overweight men in a challenge that involved weaving through gates.

Their passage was hindered by their curves, Professor Jackson said, whereas men tended to carry extra pounds on their bellies rather than their hips.

The occupational health psychologist will tell the British Science Festival in Newcastle that as well as being 'unfit for purpose', the tests were conducted in conditions 'like a sexist meat market', with male candidates wolf-whistling at female colleagues.

'When I've seen this test being applied, it is a little bit like a very sexist meat market,' he added.

'Lots of male officers gather round while the female recruits bounce and jiggle and run around, and they're wolf whistling and clapping - it's quite a sexist environment.

'Maybe get rid of it and go for something more like exam conditions, where females have a little bit more privacy and dignity.'

The GeNTOC, which is already used to test new recruits in some parts of the country, is an assault course that must be completed within 3 minutes and 45 seconds.

Candidates complete three laps of eight challenges, including walking on a beam, crawling, jumping, dragging a heavy dummy and weaving through a series of gates.

If they make a mistake, such as falling off the beam or brushing against one of the gates, they have to go back to the start of that obstacle.

His analysis of the results of more than 1,700 recruits from a large British force found half of those who passed the test were overweight or obese.

Police bodies said the GeNTOC would not form part of the annual fitness tests being introduced for serving officers, but Professor Jackson expects some forces will include it as it is well known and considered a good emulator of frontline activities.

A survey of the Metropolitan Police recently found that 52 per cent of male officers and staff in the Met were overweight, 22 per cent were obese and one per cent were morbidly obese.

This summer, Sergeant Andy Sharp of the Met was dubbed 'Britain's fattest bobby', after pictures emerged of him marshalling crowds at a charity bike ride.

[Eddie Teach]

He added men found the test – a timed obstacle course with eight challenges – easier than women, regardless of their weight, because they were stronger, faster and had more stamina.

LOL. And here I thought he was talking about fat guys.

[garbon]

Have you ever been with a fat guy?

[Syt]

Have you ever been with a fat guy?

Every day of my life. Why?

[Eddie Teach]

Have you ever been with a fat guy?

The double entendre doesn't work so well, as faster and more stamina are no longer traits that go together.

[CountDeMoney]

Police fitness test 'is biased in favour of fat male officers' because it prioritises strength

That's because the street prioritizes strength. 

I've seen a female officer tossed around a bar like a rag doll by her hair.  I've had to help a female officer fight to keep her gun in a pile.  I've known female officers with hand strength too weak to break the seal on a can of OC spray.  Been in a lot of situations with female officers where, if they were by themselves, somebody would be dead: either them, or the suspect they'd be forced to shoot because they fail the continuum of force.  Hell, read in the paper not long ago about a female officer that was robbed of her own gun.  IN HER CAR.

5'1" 110lbs female officers are at a distinct disadvantage because of a lack of strength, and wind up putting their male counterparts at a disadvantage as well.  And in the ER with the injuries to prove it.

The occupational health psychologist will tell the British Science Festival in Newcastle that as well as being 'unfit for purpose', the tests were conducted in conditions 'like a sexist meat market', with male candidates wolf-whistling at female colleagues.

'When I've seen this test being applied, it is a little bit like a very sexist meat market,' he added.

'Lots of male officers gather round while the female recruits bounce and jiggle and run around, and they're wolf whistling and clapping - it's quite a sexist environment.

'Maybe get rid of it and go for something more like exam conditions, where females have a little bit more privacy and dignity.'

That's just a sloppy ass lack of basic professionalism.  Sounds like an academy commander needs to be reassigned to Quartermaster.  Go fold some fucking uniform pants or something.

[Syt]

The public administration school also had a police school attached. The general impression was that the girls looked like out of lingerie catalogs, while the guys looked like they'd be better suited to a wrestling ring than a police uniform.

Also, they were barred from any school parties, because more than once the real police had to clean up their mess.

Still, the rumors were they were a very promiscuous bunch, especially in their own parties, not to mention mixed gender patrol cars.

[Ed Anger]

Holster sniffers.

[merithyn]

Police bodies said the GeNTOC would not form part of the annual fitness tests being introduced for serving officers, but Professor Jackson expects some forces will include it as it is well known and considered a good emulator of frontline activities.

If this is true, then I have no issue with expecting everyone to be able to accomplish the tasks.

[merithyn]

That's because the street prioritizes strength. 

I've seen a female officer tossed around a bar like a rag doll by her hair.  I've had to help a female officer fight to keep her gun in a pile.  I've known female officers with hand strength too weak to break the seal on a can of OC spray.  Been in a lot of situations with female officers where, if they were by themselves, somebody would be dead: either them, or the suspect they'd be forced to shoot because they fail the continuum of force.  Hell, read in the paper not long ago about a female officer that was robbed of her own gun.  IN HER CAR.

5'1" 110lbs female officers are at a distinct disadvantage because of a lack of strength, and wind up putting their male counterparts at a disadvantage as well.  And in the ER with the injuries to prove it.

I've always wondered about that. I understand and appreciate the advantage of having a diverse police force, but there still has to be standards set that will keep everyone safe. If women are to be on the force, they have to pass the basic tests. Otherwise, they need to stay in-house at the desks.

That's just a sloppy ass lack of basic professionalism.  Sounds like an academy commander needs to be reassigned to Quartermaster.  Go fold some fucking uniform pants or something.

I thought about that, but then I thought about how the guys probably harass one another on the field, too. I doubt it's just the women who get cat-calls and the like. I'm sure it's not the same thing, and I'd probably be the first to bitch, but I also don't think it's the worst thing that will happen to them while they're on the streets, either. Unprofessional and should stop, yes. A huge deal? Not really.

[CountDeMoney]

I thought about that, but then I thought about how the guys probably harass one another on the field, too. I doubt it's just the women who get cat-calls and the like. I'm sure it's not the same thing, and I'd probably be the first to bitch, but I also don't think it's the worst thing that will happen to them while they're on the streets, either. Unprofessional and should stop, yes. A huge deal? Not really.

Cops are going to be cops, but either you're a professional organization or you're not.  I'll call you Sugar Tits all day on Languish, but I wouldn't allow that bullshit in a rank-structured environment.  It's a police agency, not a nightclub.

[merithyn]

Cops are going to be cops, but either you're a professional organization or you're not.  I'll call you Sugar Tits all day on Languish, but I wouldn't allow that bullshit in a rank-structured environment.  It's a police agency, not a nightclub.

No, that'll get you slapped. With a hobnailed boot. To the throat.

I was more thinking of the wolf-whistles and cat-calls. I've watched guys harassing one another in football drills. I can't imagine that it's a whole lot worse than that.

[dps]

Who hijacked Meri's account in this thread?

[garbon]

Have you ever been with a fat guy?

The double entendre doesn't work so well, as faster and more stamina are no longer traits that go together.

There are other definitions that one can apply to fast and or stamina.

[Grey Fox]

The public administration school also had a police school attached. The general impression was that the girls looked like out of lingerie catalogs, while the guys looked like they'd be better suited to a wrestling ring than a police uniform.

Also, they were barred from any school parties, because more than once the real police had to clean up their mess.

Still, the rumors were they were a very promiscuous bunch, especially in their own parties, not to mention mixed gender patrol cars.

The Police trainee at my school were mostly pretty cute altho all a bunch of bitches.