‘Demeaning.’ State cops must abide by new waistline size requirement, Texas suit says

A new rule requires state troopers in Texas to stay under a certain waistline size — or else they could get fired, according to a lawsuit.

The police union called it “demeaning” and filed the lawsuit on Wednesday.

The Texas Department of Public Safety recently implemented a “command presence” policy, which requires that waist measurements not exceed 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women, according to the Department of Public Safety Officers Association. Troopers who don’t meet the requirement could be disciplined or even terminated, the union said.

“Not only is this policy demeaning, it is damaging to our troopers and to our citizens,” Richard Jankovsky, president of the association, said in a news release.“Not all physically fit troopers are of the same body type, the same height or the same genetic makeup.”

But the agency’s administration views the requirement as a way to address obesity and cardiovascular diseases that are prevalent among law enforcement officers, The Dallas Morning News reported. Deputy Director Skylor Hearn told the newspaper that the new rule is a way to “take proactive steps to address this health and officer safety risk.”

Jankovsky said the agency broke a state law that requires it to use a consultant for new policies, KXAN reported.

“There was nothing done. No consulting with the officers done,” Jankovsky told the Austin TV station. “No bringing of the officers in to talk with them and get their opinions on it.”

The police union wants a judge to stop the requirement until its legality is determined. The lawsuit was filed in Travis County.

This story was originally published October 3, 2019 at 6:09 PM with the headline "‘Demeaning.’ State cops must abide by new waistline size requirement, Texas suit says."