The aim of this retrospective longitudinal study is to examine police officers' physical performance on four physical tests over time. We compared police officers' test results at graduation with their results after 16 years of work as police officers. To illuminate changes in physical performance after 16 years as police officers, we collected data from four physical tests among the 1995 graduating class. The results show significant differences between the pretest and retest on all four physical tests among male police officers and on the bench press and standing long-jump tests among female police officers. The police officers' performance levels decreased (approximately 10–32 per cent) on the four tests after working 16 years as police officers. The results are somewhat problematic and can be viewed as a sign of an inadequate level of general physical fitness, especially in upper body strength, among police officers. We suggest that mandatory annual physical fitness testing and greater opportunities for exercising during work hours be implemented as important strategies for preventing reduced physical performance among police officers in service. Further retrospective longitudinal studies are needed to examine the development of police officers' physical performance over time. We also highly recommend that future studies implement strategies to increase the involvement of participants at the retest.

Handling a struggling subject has been pointed out as one of the maximal physical exertions of police work. However, the relationship between general physical fitness and the ability to manage an intractable subject is only scarcely examined. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to examine how general physical fitness correlates with the forthcoming police officers' ability to handle in a simulated arrest handling test. Nineteen male police students voluntarily agreed to participate. Four physical tests were conducted (bench press, counter movement jump, hang ups and 3000 meter running test). Scores from these tests were converted into a physical test index (physical index). Further, a simulation of handling a struggling subject during arrest was conducted. The simulation contained two takedown tests and two self-defense tests. Scores from the arresting simulation tests were also aggregated in a performance score index (arrest index). Later, the two indexes were correlated. We found a large correlation 0.547 (p<0.05) between the physical index and the arrest index. We also found that age was largely and moderately correlated to the physical index (p<0.05) and the arrest index (p<0.1), respectively. Although the police officers handling of a struggling subject during arrest involves a skill component related to the executing of diverse impact methods, our findings clearly show that it is also about some form of physical capability. The present study therefore highlights the importance of physical fitness within the police force.

Physical readiness is important for operative police officers to cope with occupational tasks. Despite this, physical activity and physical fitness among police officers decrease throughout their occupational career. Self-determination theory (SDT) is a major theoretical approach in motivation research for sports and physical activity. SDT describes types of motivation and motivational regulation and how they are related to physical activity and physical activity adherence. This study aims to explore whether there is a relationship between motivation and the physical activity level of future police officers. The study was based on a survey design, including two questionnaires: Motives for Physical Activities Measure – Revised, measuring motivational regulation; and International Physical Activity Questionnaire – short form, measuring physical activity. Two hundred and fifty-eight students at the Norwegian Police University College (NPUC) participated in the study. Our results revealed that motivational regulation, especially intrinsic and integrated regulation, significantly predicted physical activity among NPUC students. Our findings support the basics of SDT, and how it is related to physical activity patterns and physical activity adherence. When discussing physical training and physical readiness, and to understand the reduction in physical activity and fitness among police officers, one cannot neglect the importance of exploring and understanding the motivation for physical activity among police officers. Educational institutions like the NPUC have an important role in securing minimum levels of physical fitness when graduating students, but even more importantly they can have a central part in nurturing intrinsic motivation for physical activity for the future police officers, which facilitates physical activity adherence throughout their policing career.

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PurposeTo meet physically demanding occupational tasks, reduce occupational stress and work-related injuries and to uphold general health, emergency responders need to maintain a certain level of physical fitness. However, among emergency responders a career-long decreasing physical fitness constitutes a challenge. Based on the self-determination theory (SDT), this study aims to explore if there is any relationship between motivational regulation and physical activity patterns among future emergency responders.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a survey design including two questionnaires: Sport Motivation Scale-2 (SMS-2) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire–Short Form (IPAQ–SF), and 258 students at the Norwegian Police University College (NPUC) participated.FindingsThe authors’ findings revealed a significant relationship between motivational regulation and physical activity patterns amongst police students. The study reveals the value of the SDT in understanding exercise behaviour and physical activity adherence amongst emergency responders, and moreover, the importance of fostering intrinsic motivation, in the educational institutions, to increase physical activity and physical activity adherence throughout their career.Originality/valueTo the authors’ knowledge, there is limited research which uses the motivation theory to explain the development of physical fitness and health amongst emergency responders. With this approach, this study is something new to this discussion and should be of interest for both educational institutions and authorities managing emergency responders.