PUEBLO, Colorado (KRDO) – After weeks of applications and a police academy hiring process, the Pueblo Police Force hopes took the fitness test and took the written exam Wednesday morning.
The fitness test is a basic agility test. Runners must overcome a number of obstacles to test strength, balance, and general physical fitness.
“You must complete this course in two minutes and 45 seconds. You have two attempts to overcome each obstacle. If you fail to overcome these obstacles or fail to meet the time limit, you will be disqualified,” said Pueblo Police Chief James Martin.
To create a fair fitness test, the Pueblo police took several officers from different ages and genders and had them take the course. This helped them develop the guidelines for what a police officer should do.
“All of our officers were able to pass this test. Anyone with a certain level of physical fitness should be able to pass this course,” said Captain Martin.
After passing the physical aptitude test, the hopeful officers enter the headquarters of the Pueblo police and take a written test. It consists of 100 questions and they must reach at least 70% to pass.
One person who signed up as a police officer was Nickolas Segura, a former officer in the Bent County Sheriff’s Office, the La Junta Police Department, and the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.
He found the physical aptitude test difficult, but passed with a lot of time.
“The course didn’t seem too long, but after that I was definitely upset,” said Segura.
Segura said he wanted to work for the Pueblo Police Department for a variety of reasons, but most importantly a desire to get back into law enforcement.
“Once you get law enforcement in your blood, it’s there forever. You can go, but you definitely miss it. When I was gone, I wanted to go right back,” Segura said.
The Pueblo Police Force will open their next recruitment for their academy in November. The academy begins in May 2022. To enroll in their academy, you can visit the Pueblo Police Department website.
