Police chief nixes paid workouts for officers

WINNIPEG - Giving police officers paid time for physical fitness is not an option, police Chief Keith McCaskill said today, following the police union"s calls for the city to consider the idea.

Earlier this week, Winnipeg Police Association president Mike Sutherland called on the city to pay for officers to have 20 to 30 minutes of exercise each day, which the officers would match with their own time.

McCaskill said about 1,036 officers successfully completed mandatory physical fitness testing last year, of about 1,400 eligible.

Officers receive 20 hours of time off annually if they successfully pass the test, and are eligible for pay increases and promotion.

However, McCaskill said giving officers daily paid time off for physical fitness would mean there would be less officers available to answer calls, which he said is the forcersquo;s number one priority.

He said it would be "difficult" to schedule physical fitness time so it wouldnrsquo;t reduce the number of officers on the street.

"Our main job as police officers is to be able to provide the services as necessary to the citizens we serve," he said. "And I think that means (getting) officers out on the street as much as they possibly can to be able to answer those calls."

McCaskill classified the issue of paid time for exercise as a collective bargaining issue. The next round of collective bargaining begins next year.

Sutherland said the issue of paid time for fitness was dropped during the last round of collective bargaining.

McCaskill acknowledged that offenders are "bulking up," and said officers are dealing with more firearms on the street. He said the force encourages its members to stay in shape.

"I think most officers realize they have to be physically fit," he said.

He said the force is trying to protect officers with initiatives including the recently launched Tactical Support Team and plans to bring in a police helicopter.