Derbyshire police officers get 97% pass rate in fitness tests

The figures, released by the Royal College of Policing, show that 97.2 per cent of officers who took the test passed, compared to the national pass rate of 98 per cent.

A total of 1,233 officers from the force took the tests between September 2014 and August 2015, with 1,198 passing.

The pass rate for men was 98.3 per cent, while the pass rate for female officers was 94.2 per cent.

Officers from all 43 forces underwent the fitness test, which has been designed to meet the same physical standard as that used when recruiting officers.

Assistant Chief Constable Jo Shiner, national lead for fitness testing, said: “These results show that the vast majority of officers tested were fit and meet the standard required of them to protect the public.

“We know from previous years that slightly fewer female officers are passing and the College of Policing guidance on fitness tests has been carefully designed to support officers who are in this position, including advice on positive action measures such as specialised training and mentoring programmes.

“The public want their officers to be fit and able to protect them in the face of danger and these results show they are able to do just that.”

The fitness test is a 15-metre shuttle run which is based on scientific research, to match the aerobic demands of officer safety training.

The annual test, which became compulsory in 2014, requires officers to run 525 metres in three minutes 40 seconds or less.

If an officer is not able to pass the fitness test at the first attempt, the College advises forces to provide support and allow a series of at least two retakes.

The fitness test increases in difficulty depending on the role. Officers who want to take up roles in the area of diving, firearms, air support, among others, are required to meet a higher standard.