Police Commissioner hurdles through frontline physical test

The Police Commissioner midway through the Physical Competency Test. Photo / supplied

The Police Commissioner has been put through his paces by having a crack at the police's Physical Competency Test.

Mike Bush completed the test at the Royal New Zealand Police College in Porirua yesterday, managing it in the time allocated for someone half his age.

The test is made up of 12 tasks.

They include a 200m sprint, climbing through a window, pushing a trailer, and dragging a "body", in two minutes and twenty seconds.

The obstacle course has to be completed within a certain time limit, which is scaled based on age and gender.

"I'm 58 years old, and I did it in the time of a 28-year old. I'm pretty happy with that," Bush said.

The maximum time limit allowed for a 58-year-old man is three minutes and twenty four seconds.

Bush said the purpose of the test was for officers to push themselves to the limit and to try to replicate what might happen in the field.

"The public expect their police to be fit and healthy, and we've got to maintain that."

As to how he found it; "it hurts".

"You do go into a level of oxygen debt. The last part is really hard - you're running on rubbery legs."

Bush believed it was important to take the test himself, because he expects all of his staff to qualify.

"If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me."

The Physical Competency Test is taken by all serving police officers, up to the rank of Commissioned Officer, every two years.

But Bush thinks maintaining physical fitness is important for everyone.

"It's good to stay fit. It doesn't matter what walk of life you're in."