Fitness Test Level Should Be Reduced After Study

28 September 2023

Forcing officers to reach 5.4 on the job-related fitness test is going against medical research, Cleveland Police Federation has said.

New research has recommended that the level for police officers should be set at 3.7 – a suggestion that the National Police Chiefs’ Council has not decided to implement.

Cleveland Police Federation said the level should be the scientifically proven one of 3.7 under the new Public and Personal Safety Training curriculum.

Cleveland Federation Secretary and Equality Lead, Carl Baker, said: “The fitness test is not and has never been a measure of general fitness and health. It is simply a measure of physical capability to undertake Public and Personal Safety Training.

“Successful completion of this enables officers to be authorised as operationally competent and was determined as the benchmark for the necessary minimum level of fitness required.

“As with everything, things change and the new research demonstrates what level officers must achieve to undertake the training, which enables them to be operationally competent. It is important that this independent evidenced research is recognised and accepted.

“I have concerns that if this stance is maintained, now that the research shows the level is 3.7 is the scientifically proven level needed to undertake the new curriculum, if an officer suffers any detriment as a result of being asked to still achieve 5.4 they may have a claim under the Equality Act.

“There are also potential Health and Safety concerns around the same situation. We will be asking officers to go above and beyond the recommended level, against medical research, and this raises real concerns to me.”