British Brass to Require Cops to Take Annual Fitness Test
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iStockphoto/Thinkstock(LONDON) — After a top-to-bottom review, Scotland Yard has determined that three quarters of male British cops and police staff are obese, and top brass will now be taking drastic measures to trim the fat.
According to the U.K.’s Sun, cops will now be tested for physical fitness every year.
Starting around September of next year, officers will be subjected to a 15-meter “bleep test” annually, the newspaper reports. As part of the test, cops will be required to hold an average speed of 5.5 mph while running for just over three-and-a-half minutes.
And the penalty for not passing these requirement could be costly. If officers fail the test three times, their paychecks will see cuts.
Some special units are regularly tested for physical fitness, but as it previously stood, an average cop could be on the force for 35 years and never be forced to prove he or she can catch a crook.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio