By Joanna Putman
Police1
PHILADELPHIA — A 2023 law lowering the fitness requirements to become a police officer in Pennsylvania has resulted in an approximate 15% increase in recruits who passed the fitness exams for the Philadelphia Police Department, 6 ABC reported.
Since the law’s passing in 2023, about 51% of applicants have passed the fitness exams, compared with about 36% who passed under the previous standards, Captain John Walker told 6 ABC.
“You have 60 different ethnic groups in the city, so having people from all walks of life helps us become better as an organization because we begin to understand the people we’re serving,” said Walker.
Out of 265 people who attended a February recruiting event, 100 of them passed exams, according to the report. Walker stated that the department has not lowered its written and training standards. Exams required for cadets to graduate from the academy will remain the same.