The Washington State Patrol Office has recently been having trouble finding qualified recruits. My Northwest reports that five to eight troopers leave the patrol every month for a variety of reasons normally, but the number of applicants has taken a drastic fall.
A large number of the recruits that apply are disqualified as they can’t pass the initial physical fitness exam required for passage to the next step of the hiring process. A male candidate between 20-29 years old must complete 29 push-ups in one minute, followed by 38 sit-ups and a 1.5 mile run in 12:29 minutes. Lt. Tim Coley says, “Generally 20-30 percent don't make it beyond that first step."
