Vietnam’s traffic police department views its officers as the ‘frontline,’ often the first in contact with the public, and are accordingly making moves to ensure those with large bellies are pulled from jobs where physical fitness is needed, VN Express has reported.
Colonel Do Thanh Binh, deputy head of the country’s traffic police, on Sept. 29 said: “This year, we will do tests to check health, weight, height, and belly measurements before sending traffic police officers to work on the streets.”
The Ministry of Public Security ordered the new request to improve the capacity of officers on duty so as to serve the people better.
Binh added that those with big bellies could have difficulty in handling urgent violations on the road, such as catching criminals, rescuing people in distress, or dealing with jobs that need strength and agility.
Those who are not fit for street duty will be assigned desk jobs or similar positions. The rule is to be implemented nationwide.
Currently, officers must meet the minimum height requirement of 1.62 meters for men and 1.58 meters for women. Men must be between 53-65 kilos and women 45-55 kilos for the aforementioned height.
The department will also provide additional training to enhance the image of the “friendly, elegant” officer.
It is unclear whether giving office jobs to fuller-figured police will be good for their overall health, fitness and confidence.
