Faced with gaping vacancies in its police force and concerns about public safety, the Philadelphia Police Department had to think creatively about how to get more candidates in the door. The answer? Fewer pushups. The city’s move to lower requirements for the entry physical exam at its police academy is part of a broader effort nationally to reevaluate policies that keep law enforcement applicants out of the job pool amid a hiring crisis.
law signed by Pennsylvania's Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro at the end of last year lowered the physical fitness requirements applicants are assessed on — from situps to timed distance running and pushups — in Philadelphia. The city, buffeted with high crime rates like other big cities during the early pandemic, has struggled to fill vacancies in its police department.