New Akron Police officers shape up

I'm told that Akron's new class of police recruits has passed on major obstacle -- physical fitness.


A police captain tells me that all 36 members (34 are police recruits while the other two are fire fighters training to be arson investigators) passed the PT test on their first attempt. This makes them the only current class in the area with all of its students already deemed "physically fit."


In years past, the academy would accept some students who passed the entrance test or were at least close to passing with the idea that they would pass the official requirements before graduation. In the end, a few recruits have been lost over the years (I'm not talking about just Akron PD here) when they're accepted into the academy but can't pass the mandatory PT test before graduation. We've seen the same problem in the military where soldiers selected for prime schools fly across the country only to be sent back when they can't do enough push-ups.


As I recall, APD used the official standards for the entrance exam. 40 push-ups in one minute. 40 sit-ups in one minute. Finally, a 1.5-mile run in 12:00. I think those are the standards, at least for the males.


Anyway, APD's 34 new officers (which includes one female) don't need to take another PT test because they've all passed their tests. They'll graduate in a few weeks and be on the streets before labor day. With the number of Akron's finest who've retired, taken other jobs, or left for "other" reasons this calendar year, these new men and women in blue will definitely fill a void.