Overweight Police Essay

543 Words3 Pages
Running head: Overweight Police Today Overweight Police Today Nickalas Hickson CM220: College Composition II Prof: Christine Pavesic Overweight Police Today Police officers who are medically obese need to pass a physical test and re-training program. When a police officer is not in good physical health it can mean the difference between catching a fugitive and the fugitive getting a clean getaway. Suspects may also be more likely to try and flee or resist arrest if they feel that the officer is not going to be able to pursue or defend themselves successfully. This may lead the officer to use a more violent force than would have been necessary had the officer been able to diffuse the situation. The officer may even be forced to use a weapon if he/she is not able to defend himself/herself or apprehend a suspect through physical means. Overweight police officers cost all of us more money. They are more likely to sustain work related injuries and non work related injuries. Just as any overweight person is more likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke, add being overweight to the stress and unhealthy eating that is frequently part of the job and you may end up with a ticking time bomb. This results in more time off and a less productive work force. Society can face a significant risk if faced with an overweight police officer for help. If a police officer can not defend himself, how can he defend someone else? His chances of apprehending a fugitive if a foot chase ensues are not in his favor. Being able to act quickly is not something most overweight people are capable of. A police officer must be able to go from a sedentary position to life saving action if needed. Although police officers are accountable for their own actions, such as not eating healthy and not maintaining physical fitness, much of the time they are working long hours and are not
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