PENNSYLVANIA, USA — A bill now headed to Governor Josh Shapiro's desk would lower the standards for how physically fit a potential officer must be in order to enroll in a police academy.
First introduced by Rep. Dan Williams (D-Chester) in January, the House of Representatives and the Senate have both now passed the bill in an effort to recruit more police officers.
"Police departments across the country are struggling to find new recruits amidst waves of retirements and resignations, the COVID-19 pandemic, and several other social, political, and economic forces," Williams said in his introduction of the bill.
There are 1,300 open positions across the state, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Williams says a 2021 national survey conducted by the Police Executive Research Forum showed a 45% increase in retirements and an 18% increase in resignations over the previous year.
"The unprecedented vacancies that Pennsylvania is currently experiencing place a greater burden on our remaining officers with heavier caseloads, burnout, and increased stress," Williams' proposal read. "This makes it harder to find justice for victims, keep our residents safe, and build bonds between officers and the communities they serve."
Right now, police academy applicants are required to score no lower than the 30th percentile in evaluations that include long- and short-distance runs, bench presses and sit-ups. House Bill 863 would reduce these requirements so that an applicant only has to score in at least the 15th percentile for these evaluations.
However, these lowered standards are only for acceptance into a police academy. Applicants would still be required to score no lower than the 30th percentile in order to be employed as a police officer.
“Vacancies in the local police hurt our communities and put us all at risk,” Williams said. “This measure will give our local police departments a tool to help solve their vacancies, but is only a piece of the puzzle as we need to do more.”
