BELTON (October 7, 2009)-- The war of words over Killeen’s mandatory police fitness standards moved into a courtroom Wednesday in Belton as officers suing to block enforcement of the requirements sought a temporary injunction that would halt the test scheduled for Oct. 13.

District Judge Gordon Adams will rule on the motion Friday.

The West Bell County Fraternal Organization and the Killeen Municipal Police Association filed the lawsuit challenging the department’s new physical fitness standards late last month.

The two groups, which represent a majority of the city’s police officers, oppose the standards, saying that they could cost some good veteran officers their jobs.

All of the department’s commissioned officers from the chief down must meet the standards, which were unveiled two years ago, regardless of age, gender or experience.

"We take issue with the fact that they're implementing this test and then using those tests results to unilaterally, on their own, determine whether or not a police officer is fit to do their duties,” said
Josh Fogelman, who represents the officers on whose behalf the suit was filed.

But the city argues the requirement is vital to ensuring Killeen’s police officers are physically able to perform their jobs.

“The city wants to work with officers to get them in shape in order to perform their jobs,” said attorney Stuart Smith.

For current officers, the standards require a vertical jump of at least 16 inches; an agility run that must be complete in no more than 19.6 seconds; a 300 meter run that must be completed in no more than 74 seconds, at least 21 push ups, and a 1.5 mile run that must be completed in no more than 18 minutes and 48 seconds.