This doesn't seem equitable. Nobody else suffers financial loss because they're overweight...

[sandyRoe]

http://www.telegraph....-of-fat-officers.html
Why should the constabulary ?

[mccfluff]

ithink a profession which requires them to be pysically fit, the should be assessed. not sure if pay cuts are the right way but i guess that would get you focused

[Old_Geezer]

If you were fit enough to be offered the job then you should be fit enough not to be discriminated against. Are those with desk jobs get treated differently to those 'in the field' ?

This seems a possible 'thin end of the wedge' type scenario. Will folk get pay drops when they age and aren't as fit as they were ? What else can be taken into consideration ? Dodgy territory of you ask me.

[rockyracoon]

Agree fluff, the police should be fit, any profession where being unfit can impinge on ability needs looking at. More help to get fit and healthy should be offered before paycuts though I think.

[Davethedog]

Its simply a device to get rid of coppers and then turn round and say we did it for you.

Far more worrying is the statement that they will allow entry at Inspector level.

I have friends who are police officers, who state nothing can be better than experience although allied with ability. They are critical of Senior management, but the aren't we all.

[sunny-dave]

Fire/Ambulance/Army/Navy - what do they do ?

< real question - I've no idea >

[shaneystar2]

"some should join directly as inspectors and superintendents. "
Laughable .
My brother joined in the fifties when requirements were tall fit men with a certain degree of intelligence .
He worked his way up through the ranks .
These days it seems as if all you need to be a copper is a degree and the ability to wander about with a clipboard .
Some of them don't look old enough to shave .
As for making them work until sixty .You would hardly see a sixty year old policeman chasing a yob down the road.
Where are all these desk jobs unless it's cold case stuff .
Most of them are burnt out by fifty considering some of the harrowing stuff they have to deal with .
That is of course if they go into the job wanting to do right and not just be a glory boy .

[Philtaz]

It seems reasonable to me. All Servicemen have to complete a BFT (Basic Fitness Test) twice a year and a CFT (Combat Fitness Test) once a year.

I don't know the current criteria, but when I served the BFT was a walk/run a mile and a half in 15 minutes, in boots. You then had to complete the return mile and a half in 11.30 (for males under the age of 30).

The CFT was in full kit (20lbs of webbing, rifle and helmet), whereby 3 miles had to completed in 33 minutes.

PC's have it fairly easy in comparison.

[Philtaz]

Forgot to add, if you failed either you were medically downgraded, which in turn affected your monthly wage.

[shoota]

I broke my body during the course of my Police Service (spine etc), if I were still in I would be unable to do officer safety and the fitness test therefore I would suffer this financial penalty.
What message does this send to young officers? It says 'don't do anything dangerous like intervening in fights or saving lives in case you end up injured and earning less than your colleague who stood by and watched.'
You would not believe the depth of the morale in the Police force at th moment.

[Philtaz]

To be fair though shoota, a lot of policemen receive some unbelievable payouts for injuries they receive in the line of duty. That's not to denigrate what they do but they pale into insignificance to those injuries suffered by Servicemen.

The Police are also renowned for their compensation culture, unfortunately.....

http://www.dailymail....ensation-culture.html

http://www.dailymail....g-120-000-bruise.html

http://www.vernoncoleman.com/tccidu.htm

I'm sure that those officers who are deemed unfit for frontline duty as a result of injury have invariably been substantially compensated for an injury that would have led to them being downgraded.

[owdhamer]

they cant perform to the same level as someone fit, ergo paycut

[spotit3]

As a past member I haved to agree with the idea of an annual fitness test. When I think of some of the overweight and unfit officers I served with it was scary as they definitely would have been hopeless in any sort of a chase. If there was a test each year it would give them the impetus to keep fit.