South Brunswick Updates Police Hiring Process With Physical Fitness Test

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — Anyone hoping to join the South Brunswick Police Department will now have to prove they're physically fit before they can even sit for the written exam.

The Township Council on Sept. 16 adopted an ordinance adding a physical fitness assessment as the first step of the department's hiring process. The change was recommended by Police Chief Jim Ryan, according to the ordinance.

The fitness test is based on the New Jersey Police Training Commission's requirements for admission to a certified police academy. Candidates must meet the minimum standard in each of five events:

• Vertical jump: 15 inches

• Sit-ups: 28 in one minute

• 300-meter run: 70.1 seconds or less

• Push-ups: 24 in one minute

• 1.5-mile run: 15 minutes, 55 seconds or less

Applicants who fall short of any minimum will be dismissed from the process, the ordinance states.

Candidates must now pass each phase of the exam before moving on to the next. After the fitness test, they take a written exam administered by an outside testing company and must score at least 70 percent to pass.

Based on their application, resume and written score, some candidates may then advance to an oral exam before a board of five South Brunswick officers chosen by the police chief. Candidates must also score at least 70 percent on the oral exam.

Once testing is complete, the police chief sends a ranked list of candidates to the township clerk for certification. Under the amended ordinance, that list will remain in effect for three years, and it can be extended for one more year.

The ordinance was introduced Aug. 19 and takes effect 20 days after final passage.

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