Law Enforcement Academy Physical Requirements

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A law enforcement school provides the training and education needed to become a police officer working to fight crime and protect communities. Being an officer requires a person to be healthy and physically fit, which is why there are physical requirements to get a law enforcement degree.

Running

Most law enforcement schools have a run consisting of one to two miles in length. Candidates for law enforcement degrees must meet the time required based on their age and gender. Females and older candidates are provided more time to complete the run than young males. Montana is one of the states that requires a mobility run rather than traditional running. A mobility run requires them to perform tasks similar to an obstacle course while completing the run.

Sit-ups and Pushups

Sit-ups and pushups are utilized by many law enforcement degree programs to test candidates fit level. These are usually on a sliding scale similar to running, where males are required to perform more sit-ups and pushups in a one or two minute session than their female counterparts.

Dummy Drag

Since officers with law enforcement degrees are required to assist in carrying and moving bodies if an emergency warrants it, a law enforcement school requires candidates to perform a dummy drag. Candidates are required to drag the dummy a specified number of feet or yards in a specific time frame.

Vision/Hearing

Law enforcement officers must be able to see and hear correctly, which is why many law enforcement degrees have specific vision and hearing requirements. Vision must be able to be correctable to 20/20, and officers must be able to hear different frequencies and pitches.

Additional physical requirements

While running, sit-ups, pushups and dummy drags are the basic physical requirements, each state's law enforcement school may have one or two additional physical requirements candidates must meet. For example, Indiana requires a vertical jump while Iowa candidates must be able to meet the requirements of a sit and reach test.