Philadelphia Police Academy applicants take a a reading entry exam in Philadelphia, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. The city has moved to lower requirements for the entry physical exam at its police academy as part of a broader effort nationally to reevaluate policies that keep law enforcement applicants out of the job pool amid a hiring crisis.
Philadelphia is already seeing the payoff of its amended fitness entry exam. Since the law took effect, 51% of people testing have passed, compared with 36% previously, said Capt. John Walker, who handles recruitment for the department. Megan Bortner was one of the 100 out of 265 candidates who passed their exams during a recruitment event in February. She's moving to the city after four years as an officer in Indiana, where she completed the same physical fitness exam as everyone else, regardless of gender and age.
Concerns about crime and public safety have been top of mind for Philadelphians. It was a leading factor in the recent mayoral election, with voters choosing Democratic candidate Cherelle Parker, who vowed to beThe hope is to get more recruits hired to plug about 836 vacancies the department faces in its 6,000-officer force. Combined with around 470 officers who aren’t able to be on street duty due to injuries, the department is well below the staffing levels it has the budget for.
Departments small and large across the country are facing challenges, said Chuck Wexler, executive director for Police Executive Research Forum, a nonprofit policing think tank based in Washington, D.C. Earlier this year in Pennsylvania, the governor removed a requirement for applicants to have at least 60 college credits to be a state trooper. Applications, with nearly half of the aspiring cadets having been previously ineligible, the Pennsylvania State Police said.
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