Police Chief Fired over "Jelly Bellies" Memo

[molucass]

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (Nov. 1) - Police Chief Paul Goward was tired of looking around his department and seeing blubber hanging over the belts of some of his officers. So he sent out a memo exhorting the "jelly bellies" to shape up.

In the end, the department lost 190 pounds - all of them belonging to Goward. He was forced out as chief because some of his officers took offense at the memo.

The Oct. 11 memo bruised feelings on the 80-member force, drew at least one anonymous letter of complaint from officers about the chief's management style and made his department the butt of jokes about fat cops and doughnuts.

"If they got their feelings hurt to the extent of 'Do something about it,' then I did what I was intending to do," said an unapologetic Goward, a trim 6-footer who was forced to resign his $92,000-a-year post last week.

Some of the chief's defenders said his ouster was a big overreaction.

"He offered tremendously good advice, yet he was sacked," wrote Thomas Roe Oldt, a columnist for The Ledger of Lakeland.

In his memo, titled "Are You a Jelly Belly," the chief never singled anyone out, and apart from the title, didn't call anyone names.

Instead, he provided a list of 10 reasons police officers should be in shape. He said overweight police poorly represent the profession, poop out when chasing suspects and might have to resort to "a higher level of force" if a criminal got the upper hand in a fight. He said out-of-shape cops are a liability to the city and their families.

"Take a good look at yourself," he wrote. "If you are unfit, do youself and everyone else a favor. See a professional about a proper diet and a fitness training program, quit smoking, limit alcohol intake and start thinking self-pride, confidence and respectability. And stop making excuses for delaying what you know you should have been doing years ago. We didn't hire you unfit and we don't want you working unfit. Don't mean to offend, this is just straight talk. I owe it to you."

Winter Haven cops must pass physical examinations to be hired but are not regularly tested for fitness thereafter.

Goward, 60, said he is not a fitness freak, was not "asking for a department full of Arnold Schwarzeneggers here" and did not order his officers to stay away from fast-food restaurants or doughnut shops. In fact, the 36-year police veteran, who has also worked in Kansas and South Carolina, said Winter Haven's force is no less fit than the others he has served on.

David Greene, manager of the central Florida city of 30,000, said through a spokeswoman that he was too busy for an interview, but told the local newspapers the anonymous complaint letters made it clear the police department had a morale problem because of Goward's abrasive management style during his 2 1/2 years there.

"Emotions within the police department and the relationship with the police chief became raw," he told The Ledger.

Winter Haven officers contacted by The Associated Press said they were told not to talk to reporters about Goward's departure.

One of the anonymous complaint letters described the force as "upset to say the least" about the chief and called the "Jelly Belly" memo "the icing on the cake."

"This letter shows the type of harassment and hostile work environment we have. The chief of police is constantly 'bad talking' us in every way possible and we have had enough of his arrogance," the letter read.

Mandy Rohrbaugh, a 40-year-old nursing student and Winter Haven resident, said Goward had the right message, but perhaps could have delivered it differently.

"I think honestly our police force needs a lot of shaping up, and I think they should be fit not just when they're hired but through their time," she said.


11-01-06 14:50 EST

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a...00010000000001

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So what do you guys think? Do you think he should have been fired?

[Lady's Human]

Fired for what? Not being politically correct?

These are police officers. If words upset them that much, how are they going to feel if someone shoots at them?

[IRescue452]

I think he was in the right. I tell myself all the time I need to shape up. It's good for your health and its good for the job. He wasn't singling people out or saying it in a malicious way. This type of job should have fitness tests more often. What happens when police get older and less fit- they don't normally go patrolling the streets anymore, they take more specific jobs with less fitness needed. Maybe he should have made up anonymous flyers as if the memo was some sort of fitness advertisement.

[catnapper]

This reminds me of a debate we got into last night. My husband's family has a huge propensity to grow fat as they get older. My FIL feels it is his duty to chastise the girls at every turn about keeping their slim figures as they age. If he mentions losing baby weight to Ashley one more time, I'll scream (just for the record, she has lost all her pregnancy weight, it just took her 4 months instead of overnight as FIL thought it should have happened)

I feel he's TOTALLY wrong for telling them they will get fat - they aren't now. Though he speaks to them as if they ARE fat. Both girls walk away insulted to the core. My husband agrees with me.... or so I thought until last night when he sided with his sister, saying that his father DID have the right to tell the girls that they will get fat.

I myself feel we all know if we are or are not fat. Nobody needs to tell us something we are already perfectly aware of.

BUT, if its something to do with a job, and there are standards to be maintained (like military, fllight attendants, Playboy bunnies ) then it needs ot be spelled out in their employment contract. A boss should be able ot tell his employees that they are not living up to their empoloyment contract and they need to lose weight in order to maintain their job.

[Laura's Babies]

The company I work for has started the "fitness" thing also. When I went to that meeting in Nashville in January, they weighed us, checked out sugar and cholesterol and from the results, they sent us a suggested list of things for us to do.

They are doing this with everyone and the Captains have a very in depth physical they have to take from time to time. They are also encouraging us cooks to cook healthier and cut fat out of our reciepes where ever we can.

The reason thay are doing this is because of how we work, the main focus of most of the people out there is FOOD! Some people will gain 30 pound a trip. I use to gain 10 pounds per 28 day trip but would loose it when I was on my 28 off days since I was NOT use to eating 3 meals a day, 7 days a week. They have had people die out there from heart attacks and it was happening more and more. Just think about it... we are out there, up and down the river, out in the middle of nowhere and if someone has a heart attack, it takes sometimes HOURS for the company to get them to where they can get off the boats and get them to a hospital. (There is NO 911 on the river where you call and they are there in minutes)

Doing these physicals, they have sent people streight to the hospitals because they were only days away from a diabetic coma, days or minutes away from heart attacks or strokes. They have found some that had high seriously blood pressure and sugar levels and didn't have a clue. They don't just tell you these things but give you ways to correct it and have people that will work with you.

Our company also will pay for any/every thing you have to do to quit smoking. They know in the long run, that doing this will save them money in medical insurance and loss time at work.

Check out your favorite fast food for calories and fat here...
http://www.wafb.com/Global/link.asp?...av=menu57_10_2

[Prairie Purrs]

Catnapper, your FIL and people like him are a major reason why eating disorders run rampant among girls and young women. Show him a recent picture of Nicole Ritchie sometime and ask him if he wants his granddaughters to look like that. (And if he says yes, slap him.) Ask him whether he wants them to drop dead of a heart attack in their early 30s like Karen Carpenter.

It's one thing to encourage children and young adults to eat in a healthy manner and exercise. It's quite another to constantly tell them that they look fat. That just sends the message that one's worth is measured solely by one's appearance, and it's a recipe for disaster. Plenty of people aren't meant to be bone-thin, and they'll just get sick if they try.

The man deserves a swift boot in the butt! And so does your husband, if he buys into that crap.

As for the police department memo, sounds to me like the issue wasn't so much whether cops are/should be in shape as it was an indication that the chief had a poor management style. If department morale was poor to begin with, then a "by the way, you're fat" memo was bound to make matters worse. It may be a good idea for police officers to be in good physical shape, but it's not a good idea to have a police department that's angry and discouraged.

[dukedogsmom]

I think he had the right idea but went about it totally wrong. It's not just one department that has out of shape officers. Maybe there could have been scheduled work out days for them? Anyway, how did he expect positive results with that email?

[lizbud]

I don'y think it was unreasonable to expect the police force to stay
in good shape. I don't know what his day to day mangagement style
was, so can't say if he was a bad manager.Maybe he should work to get
physical fitness tests incorporated into the requirements for all police
officers in his department.

[caseysmom]

I have several friends in law enforcement and they are actually given an allowance for being in a fitness club.

Like Val said I think he had the right idea but went about it the wrong way.

I need to lose weight but having somebody tell me that way wouldn't make me want to do better.

[moosmom]

As for the police department memo, sounds to me like the issue wasn't so much whether cops are/should be in shape as it was an indication that the chief had a poor management style. If department morale was poor to begin with, then a "by the way, you're fat" memo was bound to make matters worse. It may be a good idea for police officers to be in good physical shape, but it's not a good idea to have a police department that's angry and discouraged.

CatsinDenver is correct. I think this goes WAY beyond the department members' physical condition. As always there are two sides to every story. I would LOVE to hear what the cops have to say before I judge whether or not I think the Chief should've been fired. The memo itself could've been the Chief's way of using his sense of humor (however dry it may have been) to make a point.

[Argranade]

I don't think he should have been fired,

I agree with this lady on the radio ... she said somthing like,

''I would feel more safe, with sturdy and in shape police officers because this way I know they won't run out of breath to catch a suspect on the loose and they'll be ready to charge at them at any time.''

Maybe not all out of shape officers are like that and can run for a long time but I agree it would seem better plus loosing some pounds could be good for there health, tho it was kinda mean demanding them to do it by force but that was no reason to fire the cheif.

Honestly I not trying to be mean or anything I swear but don't you think it would be better to loose weight this way they could run after a robber for a long time and would not always have to shoot them because they could not run far enough to grab them or tackle them?

Just my opinion & I have nothing against the "jelly bellies".

[Luvin Labs]

I don't think he should have been fired.

And I think that they should have a yearly physical readiness test (PRT).

If you have to be in shape to get ON the force, you need to be in shape WHILE on the force.

I would be more confident in our police force if we had physically fit people over "jelly bellies".

[Cataholic]

I am overweight myself, and would WELCOME my employer's support of a more healthy lifestyle. I need as much encouragement as I can get.

[Miss Z]

I'm pretty sure that here anyone in the services, eg patrolling police force, fire service etc, have to pass a vigourous fitness test. These people need to be able to chase after criminals and will encounter situations on a regular basis where they need strength and fitness.

I think it's total madness that he was fired simply on the basis of a memo. As chief, he had a right to tell his officers what concerned him. I don't really think it was an issue that he called them 'jelly babies', so what? Surely someone big enough to work for the good of their country is big enough to see past a comment and to do something about it.

[jackie]

And I think that they should have a yearly physical readiness test (PRT).

If you have to be in shape to get ON the force, you need to be in shape WHILE on the force.

I would be more confident in our police force if we had physically fit people over "jelly bellies".

You took the words from my mouth. I think a yearly fitness test would be great.