One of the most
important topics regarding law enforcement is officer fitness, or the larger
concern, a lack thereof. Lack of fitness can be correlated to instances of
inappropriate use of force and the public outcry of police brutality. Physical
conditioning can directly assist an officer in achieving their main objective
of every shift which is to go home healthy and safe.
Increased fitness increases confidence and provides
officers with a greater window of opportunity to de-escalate, showing the
public that less drastic measures may be taken in handling stressful
confrontations. Failure to set or maintain standards of fitness has in some
cases, opened the door to civil litigation such as in Parker v District of
Columbia where the proceedings showed that the District of Columbia was
deliberately indifferent to physical standards resulting in significant
financial compensation. Agencies should consider that an officer’s shift and
work environment may indirectly lead to a lack of attention to health and
fitness. A “complacency kills” approach may be able to outline the dangers of
these lapses in standards but if a pathway cannot be created for these
officers, then it may only reinforce the negative thought that they may not go
home.
