Want a raise? Fat chance if you’re a tubby trooper!
Hundreds of officers face discipline and risk being rejected for promotions by the Texas Department of Public Safety — unless they slim down by the end of the year, according to local reports.
To meet the Texas-sized fitness mandate, male troopers must keep their waistlines under 40 inches and women are capped at 35 inches, the Dallas Morning News reported.
Of the 4,000 officers on the force, 200 don’t meet the standard — and were given a fitness plan to record and share their progress with the department, which includes checking in every four weeks.
“I will show up to work out for 5 days a week for 45 minutes a day,” one trooper listed as a fitness goal in paperwork obtained by the Dallas Morning News.
“I will drink no more than one diet soda each day,” the trooper listed as a second goal. “When I am craving soda, I will drink water instead.”
There were 200 that didn’t meet the fitness standards for troopers. Texas Highway Patrol
The troopers are required to get their waistlines below 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women, according to the report. Adrees Latif/REUTERSOversized officers must meet the requirement by Dec. 1 or may be temporarily pulled off their enforcement role, according to the Houston Chronicle. They would also not be allowed to work overtime or side jobs.
The slim-down standards were first introduced to the troopers in 2019, resulting in a lawsuit from the union who represents the troopers. The fitness plan shows some of the deadlines to meet the waistline measurements were delayed due to the pandemic.
The waistline rule will be re-evaluated in August, a spokesperson for the department told the paper.
Additional reporting by Natalie O’Neill
