Thursday, March 19, 2009

Too Fat? Fired.

So, this article is really interesting to me (Kudos to my buddy Mike over at zumewalk.com for posting about it here) and I wanted to share it with you guys. Also, I want to know your opinions.

Basically, this 52 year old cop had worked for this police department for 25 years and had been a Detective for a while, then was switched to patrol duty. He then got fired because of his weight. Now, the decision has been overturned.

Here's my opinion:

I think he should NOT be on patrol, and the removal from that position should stand. If I’m being attacked and this cop comes up to get the criminal and the criminal runs, the criminal is getting away. I don’t want someone on patrol duty who is physically unable to perform his job at the standard it needs to be. That’s why I’m not a cop, and I appreciate the fact that cops, firemen, military soldiers (take my super hot, ridiculously in shape friend Andrew as a great example), etc, are IN SHAPE. There’s a reason for it. I know if I got attacked and my buddy Andrew was there, the guy wouldn't even have a chance to run before being dropped like a bastardized hot plate of crap cookies.

Now, I think the officer should be offered a different position, like a desk job or something to stay with the precinct if he wants to - it should have just been a matter of “you’re not qualified for this position in your current physical condition.”


What about all of you?

~J

13 comments:

Katie said...

I think he should've been offered a new position and, if he didn't like that new position, be given a limited amount of time to reach the correct physical condition to do his job (especially since his previous position apparently didn't require physical fitness).

Losinthisdangfat said...

Well, in a way I agree that people in jobs such a law enforcement should be physically able to do their job. If I'm correct, they have to be able to pass a physical fitness exam as one of the qualifications for the job. Even if a candidate is over weight, if he passes that physical fitness exam then I believe that he or she should be able to have the job. It seems that holding someone's weight against them seems like it's descrimination. But I DO agree that being physically fit should be a must for the job. If I were to be in law enforcement, then I would want to be physically fit so I could do the job and be able to run if I needed to. I've seen some very fat cops and I wonder to myself how that person can do their job effectively? I don't get it. But then again, if that person can pass a physical fitness test and is overweight then they should still be given the job regardless of their weight.

Hanlie said...

I agree completely! This is not about discrimination, this is about meeting the physical requirements for the job. A fat person (and I'm living proof of this) cannot run and move as fast as a leaner person...

Anonymous said...

I agree. as much as Id have loved to think the getting fired would have sparked an IM GONNA GET IN SHAPE SO FAST AND SHOW THEM AND GET OFF DESK DUTY FAST!!! if a friend in a similar position is any indicator chances are it isnt going to happen.

it sucks but it is a job which REQUIRES physical prowess huh?

~Kristen~ said...

I think that there is something missing in that story. I shared this story with my cousin, who is a county police officer, and he said the same thing. He thinks that this guy must have failed his yearly physical fitness test and that's why they pulled him off duty. He said that for the county he works for, they get 2 chances on the test. If you don't pass the first time, they give you a short period of time to "get fit" and then retest. After that you're put through the paces of different things before getting fired (such as write-ups, disciplinary actions, etc). He felt that this police officer just saw "you're fat" and saw a great way to sue the department.

I know that when I was in college we had a security officer who was very large (so large the car sank when he got into it) and I always felt I unsafe when he was on duty. He could barely walk 200 feet without being sweaty and out of breath, much less climb any stairs. I think that for certain jobs you have to be discriminatory ... and that's speaking as a current overweight person. If you want to do certain, physically hard jobs, you have to be able to prove you can do the job. If not, then go try your hand at something else.

Adam W. said...

Short and sweet - I agree with your original post completely. Homeboy should NOT be out patrolling, but totally allowed to conduct other things in the department.

nancy said...

I wonder, was this guy heavy when they originally assigned him to patrol duty? If yes, that raises questions about the administration department, if not, I agree with the removal of his station and relocation would be great. It would be like ME saying I'm a professional photographer; sure, I could take ten disposable cameras and snap you for an hour or two, but in the end you could certainly tell I wasn't trained or qualified.


Mom

Anonymous said...

I think he should have been told he needed to correct the problem. He knew when he applied to the academy that he needed to be in good physical shape. They discharge people in the military if they won't keep their weight and physical fitness under control.

Lee said...

This man has been found to be lacking in the physical and mental status necessary to adequately perform his public safety position. This was found to be the case during a training exercise. Thank God it wasn't found during an actual situation protecting the public.

And while he could be safely shuffled to a desk job, he may not be qualified for that. As taxpayers, we should get the best qualified persons for any position, but more so those involving public safety.

I suspect if this were only a matter of a physical problem, he would have taken steps to correct the issue. There is more here. The other officers as well as the community deserve police officers who can do the job.

Carlos said...

dropped like a bastardized hot plate of crap cookies

you just made me snarf my water! thanks for the giggle

"4 oz" said...

I feel that people in positions such as this should be required to take physical fitness tests annually. My cousins are Marines and I know they take their tests every year and they work hard to make sure they stay in shape. The same should be in place for officers and such. It should be a job requirement. If they can't pass the test then they should be given a "You have till such day to try again or else..." warning.

Mrs. Bradley said...

I agree with you.. I think that a patrol cop should be in shape. It seems like common sense.

Anonymous said...

I have to agree - this is a job that really requires you to be in shape. If my life is in danger I don't want to have to worry that the person responsible for helping me won't be able too because they are out of shape. Different jobs have different requirements - it's just a fact. If you can't meet those requirements than you should not be doing that job.

I can think of plenty of jobs I wouldn't be able to do - and I am not going to think I am being discriminated against. I know and accept what I can and can not do.