Faced with gaping vacancies in its police force and concerns about public safety, the Philadelphia Police Department had to think creatively about how to get more candidates in the door. One answer? Fewer pushups.
The city’s move to lower requirements for the entry physical exam at its police academy is part of a broader effort nationally to reevaluate policies that keep law enforcement applicants out of the job pool amid a hiring crisis, the Associated Press reports. To close the gap, policies on tattoos, previous drug use, physical fitness and college credits are all being reconsidered. Los Angeles is offering housing subsidies. Other departments, like Washington, D.C., are offering signing bonuses of more than $20,000. Several states have expanded eligibility to noncitizens, while others have changed the minimum age of officers to 18.
A law signed by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro at the end of last year lowered the physical fitness requirements applicants are assessed on — from situps to timed distance running and pushups — in Philadelphia. The city, buffeted with high crime rates like other big cities during the early pandemic, has struggled to fill police vacancies. Under the new law, candidates can pass their exam at a lower threshold than previously required, now in the 15th percentile of the standards the force uses to test its cadets. Depending on your age and sex, it’s the difference of about three to five situps or pushups, or a few minutes added to the 1.5-mile run. Philadelphia is already seeing the payoff of its amended fitness entry exam. Since the law took effect, 51% of people testing have passed, compared with 36% previously, said Capt. John Walker, who handles recruitment. Cadets still need to graduate by passing the current standard of being in the 30th percentile, but over the nine months of training, it gives candidates time to grow, Walker said.
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