Abstract
Law enforcement agencies generally employ the “one-size-fits-all” education-training model. Its effectiveness compared to alternative training models has been under scrutiny. Physical fitness scores of Serbian male (n = 98) and female (n = 79) police cadets during their yearly evaluation were compared. Cadets trained for the first 3 years with the “one-size-fits-all” model. In the fourth year, they self-prescribed an individualized exercise program based on the obtained curriculum knowledge. A two-way MANOVA revealed a significant effect of academic years on combined variables (p < 0.001) and significant differences between academic years for deadlift, half squat, standing long jump, sit-ups and 12-min Cooper test time (p < 0.001). Sex also had a significant main effect on combined variables (p < 0.001) with males outscoring females on all of the fitness assessments. For pull-ups, there was a significant year * sex interaction (p = 0.01) with the third year to be pivotal for female and male performance, respectively. In conclusion, the use of a “one-size-fits-all” model, presented differences in physical fitness scores between the years one to three, pointing to its questionable effectiveness. On the contrary, the self-prescribed individualized exercise program of the fourth year elicited greater fitness scores, indicating the need to evaluate the applicability of such a training model more.
Highlights
Law enforcement officers’ (LEOs) occupational demands require certain levels of physical fitness [1,2,3]
Police academies have the responsibility to physically prepare their graduates for the police-related occupational demands [1,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]
Data were collected by the same specialized physical education professors of University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies (UCIPS) (i.e., PhD in Sports Science) during the regular specialized physical education classes at the UCIPS’s training facility, following the law enforcement agency (LEA)’ established policies and procedures for data collection
Summary
Law enforcement officers’ (LEOs) occupational demands require certain levels of physical fitness [1,2,3]. Police academies have the responsibility to physically prepare their graduates for the police-related occupational demands [1,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]. Certain police academies accept their cohorts every year based on standardized evaluations of their fitness levels [14]. In general, follow the same training program from the first year until their senior year, they may have the same fitness levels throughout the years of being in the police academy [15]. Lockie et al [15] examined differences in fitness levels among three classes in the largest USA law enforcement agency (LEA). The authors reported that selected fitness test scores, such as in push-ups, sit-ups, arm ergometer revolutions, 75-yard pursuit and 2.4-km run time, did not differ between
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