The Associated Press
MEDINA, Ohio (AP) -- The Medina County Sheriff’s Department is down an officer. In a good way.
The department is in the midst of a mandatory fitness program that includes nutrition seminars, body fat testing, and safe and effective fitness plans. So far, officers have dropped a combined 190 pounds.
“We’re getting pleasant results,” Chief Deputy Tom Miller said.
Not only has the fitness regimen resulted in leaner personnel, but it also has promoted more healthful lifestyles and eventually could reduce time lost to sickness and injury, Miller said.
“Officers that are physically fit tend to do a better job,” he said.
As a part of the effort, the department has signed on to compete against other police and fire departments in a nationwide fitness challenge to raise money for Shriners Hospitals for Children.
So far, 32 of the department’s 180 employees have agreed to participate in the fund-raiser, in which competitors will try to meet a variety of fitness challenges during the next 12 weeks.
The goal of this friendly competition is not to lose weight but to improve physical fitness, Sgt. Tammy Singletary said.
There are six teams participating from the Medina County Sheriff’s Department, prompting some friendly jabs within the department.
“Some of the teams are already talking about sending pizza and doughnuts to the teams so they will win,” she said.
The competition, which is in its sixth year, will include more than 5,000 police officers, firefighters and their spouses in 28 cities. Teams compete to see which one loses the most fat and gains the most muscle.
“It’s helped with team-building within the department,” Singletary said.
Medina isn’t the only police department trying to shake the image of unfit, doughnut-eating police officers.
The Chicago Police Department offered a $250 bonus to motivate its officers to stay in shape. To get the money, officers must run 1 1/2 miles, bench press most of their body weight, do sit-ups and demonstrate their flexibility.