Are tests of Are tests of Police Fitness Police Fitness accurate? accurate? How a ‘gender-neutral’ How a ‘gender-neutral’ physical fitness test can physical fitness test can actually discriminate actually discriminate Professor David Wilson Professor David Wilson Head of Centre for Applied Head of Centre for Applied Criminology Criminology Professor Craig A. Professor Craig A. Jackson Jackson Head of Division of Head of Division of Psychology Psychology Faculty of Education, Law & Social Sciences Faculty of Education, Law & Social Sciences School of Social Sciences School of Social Sciences
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Are tests of Police Fitness accurate? Are tests of Police Fitness accurate? How a ‘gender-neutral’ physical fitness test can actually discriminate Professor.
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Are tests of Police Are tests of Police Fitness accurate?Fitness accurate?
How a ‘gender-neutral’ How a ‘gender-neutral’ physical fitness test can physical fitness test can actually discriminateactually discriminate
Professor David WilsonProfessor David WilsonHead of Centre for Applied CriminologyHead of Centre for Applied Criminology
Professor Craig A. JacksonProfessor Craig A. JacksonHead of Division of PsychologyHead of Division of Psychology
Faculty of Education, Law & Social SciencesFaculty of Education, Law & Social SciencesSchool of Social SciencesSchool of Social Sciences
Winsor Review of Policing 2012Winsor Review of Policing 2012
• UK police forces urged to use fitness tests as large-scale
cost-effective measures of officers’ fitness to work
English pop (2008)Male overweight 42% Female overweight 32%
English pop (2008)Male overweight 42% Female overweight 32%
Obstacle errorsObstacle errors
Key PointsKey Points
1.One in four candidates (24%) failed the Gender-Neutral Timed Obstacle Course) and of those who passed it, 49% were overweight or obese.
2. Test success was closely attributed to obstacle performance, and females were significantly more error-prone than males on two distinct obstacles, probably hindered by physiology.
3. The test discriminated against females when competing to an identical time cut-off point for both sexes
4. As such we consider the Gender-Neutral Timed Obstacle Course is not a useful screening tool for identifying unfit police officers or for highlighting ‘fitness’ among police officers.