Jan 9, 2024 New Hampshire lawmakers consider eliminating physical fitness test for police
New Hampshire lawmakers are considering a bill from last year that would end the state’s physical test requirement for police officers every three years.
Lawmakers said smaller, local police departments have lost good officers due to being unable to pass the physical test that involves push-ups, sit-ups, and a 1.5-mile run with standards being adjusted for age and gender.
A recent story from WMUR.com detailed the lawmakers’ attempt to end New Hampshire’s three-year physical test for officers. Below is an excerpt from the WMUR.com story.
“So, if you fail this, you’re given a second chance on it. But if you fail it by 10 seconds on the run or a couple of pushups here and there, you lose your certification, you lose your career, you can’t work in New Hampshire anymore,” Rep. Dennis Mannion said.
“The area I live in, we see a lot of officers occasionally will end up not doing well with the PT standards, and they go right over to Vermont where they don’t have to do it and for similar pay,” Rep. Jonathan Stone of Claremont said.
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Opponents of the bill said the best way to deal with workforce shortages in law enforcement is to increase pay.
“And I think that we should deal with that issue rather than lowering the standard to try and retain people who wouldn’t necessarily be able to do the job to their full ability,” Rep. Jonah Wheeler said.
To read the full story from WMUR.com about New Hampshire police fitness requirements, click here.
