By Jacqueline Lee
Belleville News-Democrat
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. — The New Year may spur attendance at health clubs, but Fairview Heights’ new weight room has given some police officers incentive to quit their outside gym memberships.
The Municipal Complex had always housed a weight room in its basement for city employees, but Lt. Ted Harris said “it was pretty Spartan” and police officers -- who are allowed two hours a week during their shifts to work out -- opted to work out elsewhere.
When the possibility that grant money was available arised, Harris and Lt. Chris Locke secured $33,600 through insurance group Illinois Public Risk Fund’s Safety and Educational Grant Program, which funds efforts to improve employee safety.
Instead of getting more bullet proof vests or panels for their police cars, the officers decided to invest in the city’s weight room since the Police Department’s union had previously suggested the city pay for health club memberships for the officers.
“We felt that it would be more appropriate and cost-effective to pay for a one time cost as opposed to an ongoing cost for health club memberships,” Chief Ed Delmore said. “Many studies have shown that officers who present a professional appearance and are in shape, are less likely to be assaulted and suffer a physical injury when pursuing suspects.”
Harris and Locke then spent most of 2008 fixing up the city’s weight room, from securing funds outside the city’s budget to painting the room on Harris’ off days, and opened the gym by October.
“Our original wish list was $75,000, but we had to cut it down by about half,” Harris said. “Not a penny came from the city budget.”
The insurance company’s grant boosted the weight room’s initial “stationary bike or two, couple sets of free weights and box radio” to a 24-hour “state-of-the-art gym.”
About $3,000 from drug seizures and the Fraternal Order of Police, and private donations from crime lab personnel paid for mirrors, a television and a stereo.
The city knocked down a wall in the basement to allow for expansion of the weight room.
Harris had wanted to make the room unique to the city, so over the course of three off days, he painted the walls with an alternating light and dark blue block pattern to represent the city and Police Department, respectively.
“I would have painted more, but I ran out of paint,” he said. “We can’t make them work out; all we can do is encourage them by making it as modern and pleasing as we can to entice employees and officers who don’t use it.”
Patrol Officer Tina Presson said the old weight room served its purpose, but was outdated. “This gym is better because it’s dedicated to us, geared towards us, and it’s protected very well.”
Harris’ son, Detective Nate Harris, said he had an outside gym membership, but finds it easier to work out at the Municipal Complex before he starts his shift each day.
“It’s free, it’s convenient and it’s got everything that a bigger gym has, but no wait,” Nate Harris said. “Other people have already been motivated to use it, and that’s great because being physically fit is important for us to do our job.”
One of the gym’s walls is adorned with a sign that reads, “The more you sweat in here, the less you’ll bleed out there,” a modification of a quote used by the Los Angeles Police Department.
“We want them strong. We want them fit. The more you work out in here, the less likely you’ll be defeated out on the street,” said Ted Harris, and added with a beaming smile, “There’s officers down here every day now.”
Copyright 2009 Belleville News-Democrat