Overweight cops lose pay- opinions?

[Xanthorius]

Here's the news article:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...od_nm/fat_dc_2

Synopsis: The Florida Highway Patrol is going to take away the annual $500 performance bonus for each officer who is more than 15 lbs overweight.

What do you guys think about that? Personally, I'm a tubby little guy, but I am now biking to work almost 30 miles round trip so I can be proud of who I am as a police officer (when I finally get hired someday ). However, I think basing it on weight alone is too shortsighted.

For those of you in Florida, is there a body fat clause in this? At one time in my life, I weighed 165 lbs and could run 8 miles (former cross country runner) and bench 245 lbs. But Weight Watchers (hey, I'll try anything to help me be healthy and fit) says that 165 lbs is at LEAST 10 lbs overweight...and I was at 12% body fat then.

If there's no body fat clause, then I think it's a ridiculous way to do things. You would penalize officers who tend to be even somewhat bulky no matter how good of shape they are in.

Having healthy officers means better officer confidence and skill, and more public confidence blah blah (I'm sure you've all heard it a zillion times). I just don't think weight alone is an indicator of "performance"- I think it should be a more all encompassing indicator of the officer's relative health and skill.

[CinaC]

Crap, Weight Watchers says that 175 is my "optimal" weight. If I get down to that, (45 lbs to go), I'll be set to go ...

But I agree with what you say. I've been going to the gym three or four times a week, and I know I've been gaining weight by sheer fact that strong muscles weigh more then weak. As long as they're in shape, why penalize 'em for being big?

Besides, big cops are more intimidating.

[ 04-16-2002: Message edited by: CrazyinaJeep ]

[Don]

Originally posted by Xanthorius:
Synopsis: The Florida Highway Patrol is going to take away the annual $500 performance bonus for each officer who is more than 15 lbs overweight.

What do you guys think about that?

Well, first off, if it IS a PERFORMANCE bonus and the officers are still able to meet the PERFORMANCE guidelines then I hope to hell they challenge it in court!

Frankly, I think it sucks! If you go by the charts in the doctors offices almost everyone is "overweight" and that just is not true.

I can see them requiring some type of standard, IF they provide you with workout equipment and the time to use it. Then, if you fail to meet the criteria, it is no one's fault but your own.

However, as you have pointed out, if they are going by weight alone, and NOT by body fat then they are WAAAAY out in left field!

[Xanthorius]

No kidding big cops are intimidating! We had a guy named Jay in our academy. He looked like he'd been custom built for body armor, like a video game character or an action figure. If I was doing something wrong and he came in the room, I'd put my OWN handcuffs on and go quietly

But on weight alone, I'm positive he'd be like 25 to 30 lbs overweight.

[ateamer]

Well, I weigh 240, and am grossly overweight according to the doctors (obese and usually smokers themselves) who tell me I should weigh 184. I guess benching 440 and squatting 650 has nothing to do with it, just arbitrary numbers some beaureaucratic mope at an insurance company came up with 50 years ago.

One of the best cops I ever met is fat by anyone's standards, but can run down crooks with the best of them and is smarter than just about all the rest. And one of the worst was in excellent physical shape, but was dumb as a stump and had lower ethics than Johnnie Cochran.

[team green]

Exactly...before I was hired, the doctor at the medical exam told me I was 17 pounds overweight. I was 6'1" 215 pounds at the time. I was told to either get down to 198 or get a body fat test. Fortunately, my body fat was about 14%, so it wasn't a problem...

What is funny is that I and the other "fat" guys were outrunning and outperforming the "in shape" skinny guys.

A second buddy of mine who is 5'10" and 230 pounds was also told to lose almost 40 pounds! If you looked at the guy, you might mistake him for a pro bodybuilder, yet he was overweight. He went the bodyfat route also and came out well under 10%.

[jarhead6073]

The Marine Corps has similar weight stantards. But they also have a body fat standard. The problem with that lies in the way they do the body fat test. The Marines decided to use the taping method which sucks. Because people who are naturally skinny and decide to work out and put on weight were failing because they have a skinny neck. They really need to use calipers or submersion.
I don't have a problem with weight standards as long as they take body fat into account. As intimidating as a "big" officer is, a fat one is just as unintimidating.

[Godside]

So if you're "underweight" according to the charts, then are you also eligible for an extra bonus? I must say that trying to promote healthy living is a wonderful thing, and pay incentives may help promote living more healthy. They are just going about it in the wrong way...

[RachelR]

I can understand the logic in trying to entice officers through their wallets to stay in shape.

However, since each person is different and unique,I believe it should be on a case by case basis and not a cookie cutter standard.

[klar]

Every time a weigh-in came down the chain of command in the military I knew that I had to go in front of the docts once more to test my "body-fat" to see if I was to go on a new exercise program or not. I weighed about 215-225 as a military policeofficer and I never was able to get sdown to the 189 that they had listed for me to be. HEck at my lowest weight of 215 I was under 8% body fat and that is not really good for you either. Heck optimum body fat is around 15-20% of your total weight so you have reserves to fall upon when sick or injured. I think that anyone saying that your fat or another is fat because you do not fit in their little world of what is or is not fat is a delisional blummbering idiot and needs go get their head out of thier behind and look at the real world. If a person is ift and is capable of doing the job correctly then leave them alone.

Klar

[Don]

Klar I think it is just another instance of folks with little minds and big egos trying to make themseleves fell better by point out what is "wrong" with the other fella. We could ALL live a lot happier without this type of person, but there are way to many of 'em. . .

[Ray]

Ive been over weight all my life, even when in the military. But when we went on 50mile hump I didnt drop out but skinny people did. Being the "Doc" I ddn't even get to take a break when we had rest stops.

Ive been a cop for 13 years now, every bit of it overweight but I still out perform most of the guys as far as arrests, citations ect. So where is the beef!!!

Sure I'd like to lose some weight but its HARD once it gets on it dont want to come off

[kirch]

I believe it's important for a police officer to be in shape. I'm no role model for healthy living, but when I started the academy I committed myself to a stepped-up exercise program and I've been able to stick with it pretty well. Nontheless, I'm still probably 10-15 lbs. over my 'optimum' weight.

That being said, I believe you have to look at the whole officer. There's a guy in my academy class that runs 300 lbs.+, but he's not what I would call grossly overweight -- he runs about 6' 6", is incredibly solid and hits you like a ton of bricks (as I found out when partnered with him in DAT training). Just having him walk into the room in uniform will defuse most physical confrontations.

On the other hand, there's another recruit in our class that is probably 5' 10" and runs 250+ easy. He's just plain overweight and, if he doesn't get in better shape, isn't going to be very effective as a police officer, in my opinion.

[Ray]

Originally posted by kirch:
On the other hand, there's another recruit in our class that is probably 5' 10" and runs 250+ easy. He's just plain overweight and, if he doesn't get in better shape, isn't going to be very effective as a police officer, in my opinion.

Well Im 510 270lbs and am a very effective officer. Like I said Id like to lose weight but its hard, but my weight has not prevented me from being a good officer. Dont judge a person by appearance but rather by their performance.

[720]

If I had my way, our department would do something like the Marine Corps. PFT. Every officer would have to take it and get scored, you don't pass with an acceptable score, you don't get the bonus. They want, they work for it.