Are tests of Police Fitness accurate?

1. Are tests of Police Fitness accurate? How a ‘gender-neutral’ physical fitness test can actually discriminate Professor Craig A. JacksonActing Head of School of Social Sciences Professor David WilsonEmeritus Professor of Criminology Faculty of Education, Law & Social Sciences School of Social Sciences

2. Winsor Review of Policing 2012 • UK police forces urged to use fitness tests as large-scale • cost-effective measures of officers’ fitness to work • Commences Sept 2013 • Gender-Neutral Timed Obstacle Course (GeNTOC) • Must be completed within 3min 45sec, regardless of sex. • Disproportionate female failure rate? • Evidence of discrimination? • Potential for litigation? • Improvements to the test process?

4. Backgroundto the test • GeNTOC Indoor obstacle course: • Gender-neutral • Three laps • Complete within 3mins 45secs • Each lap contains 8 obstacles • Re-take any obstacle failed • Not completed within time = Fail

5. Obstacle Course • Three laps of… • Crawl • Jump • Stairs • Balance beam • Gate duck • Weave • Cone carry • Body drag

6. Demographic breakdownof 1,701

7. Demographic breakdownof 1,701 • 1,701 Participants • Males 914 (54%) • Females 787 (46%)

8. Demographic breakdownof 1,701

9. Demographic breakdownof 1,701

10. Demographic breakdownof 1,701

11. Overall Performance 22.1% completed but outside the time 23.5 % total candidates screened out

12. Total lap times (3 laps)

13. Females perform more poorly than Males • English pop (2008) • Male overweight 42% • Female overweight 32% • English pop (2008) • Male obese 24% • Female obese 25%

14. Obstacle errors

15. Key Points One in four candidates (24%) failed the Gender-Neutral Timed Obstacle Course) and of those who passed it, 49% were overweight or obese. 2. Test success was closely attributed to obstacle performance, and females were significantly more error-prone than males on two distinct obstacles, probably hindered by physiology. 3. The test discriminated against females when competing to an identical time cut-off point for both sexes 4. As such we consider the Gender-Neutral Timed Obstacle Course is not a useful screening tool for identifying unfit police officers or for highlighting ‘fitness’ among police officers.

16. Summary • Female discrimination • 40% of Females fail (only 7% of Males fail) • Prev. Ratio - Females 8.8 more likely to fail • 40% Females overweight / obese • 59% Males overweight / obese • Weave obstacle: poorer than males (P=0.008) • Body drag obstacle: poorer than males (P=0.000)

17. Summary • Weight indiscrimination • Only fails 25% of all candidates • 80% with normal BMI pass • 75% of overweight / obese BMI pass • Of 1,302 completing within time: • 1% underweight • 50% normal weight • 43% overweight (of these 75% were males) • 6% obese (of these 80% were males)

18. ImplicationsOfficer health • Not enough Female officers being recruited • Not enough unfit officers screened out • Overweight officers at increased risk of: • Musculoskeletal hazards • Cardiovascular disease • Psychosocial issues (shift work) • Personal protective equipment failure

19. Implications • Law enforcement • Loss of public confidence • Inability to police effectively • Crime detection • Crime prevention • Public order • General poor level of policing

20. Solutions • Adopt a different test • If not, then make changes to current test: • Widen weave obstacles • Re-order some obstacles (Body drag) • Use different cut off times for sexes • Use exam conditions • Suitable clothing / uniform • Allow practices

21. Jackson CA, Wilson D. The Gender-Neutral Timed Obstacle Course: a valid test of police fitness? Occup Med (Lond) 2013: 63 (7): 479-484