Educating Law Enforcement Agencies on Nutrition and Fitness
Files
Date
2018
Authors
Wilkerson, Justin
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT)
Abstract
Description
Safety plays a major role in the job of a police officer and being in physical condition and being healthy allows the officer to perform so that they are able to stay safe. Police officers need to be in the best physical condition in order to perform their job to best of their ability. Officers need to be physically fit so that they are able to defend themselves against those trying to harm them or others, chase after criminals who chose to run, and many other scenarios that require a physically fit person to fulfill the task at hand. Departments all over the country are looking into adding a nutritional program and a physical fitness program into their curriculum to help officers achieve being in physical shape. A good nutritional and physical fitness program will help officers maintain being in physical shape and provide the steps to achieve it. Not only will these programs help officers at work but also help officers in their daily lives.
Officers have to be willing to accept change and change for many people means trying something new. Adding a nutritional and physical condition program might cause hesitation to participate from officers. Adding programs like that to a department means taking time to do physical activity, spending money, and finding time on the job to maintain healthy habits. These are all factors that add to the challenge of being a police officer. Trying to convince officer’s to try these programs might create negativity in the department and cause even more trouble for departments and officers.
There are ways to encourage officers to want to participate in programs that will help them maintain healthy and physical shape, and provide examples of how other departments such as the Los Angeles Police Department have implemented their health and nutritional program into their department.
Keywords
Police--health and hygiene, Physical fitness--health aspects