Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the influence of different Specialized Physical Education (SPE) teaching programs on the level of students’ physical abilities. Design/methodology/approach – In the Academy of Criminalistic and Police Studies (ACPS), one of the teaching program goals is an improvement of student's physical abilities level. Since the establishment of ACPS, three SPE programs have been implemented differing in number of class hours. Five different tests were used: “Isometric dead lift,” “Hand grip,” the Long jump (LJ), the Sit-up test and the Cooper test. Findings – Multivariate analysis of variance results indicated a statistically significant difference between the programs in tests LJ, Sit-up and Cooper. The Bonferroni test showed differences between all three programs. The discriminant analysis showed that both discriminant factors are statistically significant. The greatest factor in the first function was the test LJ, while the greatest factor in the second discriminant function was the Sit-up test. Practical implications – The importance of research was the fact that by determining the changes of students’ physical abilities level, the authors can evaluate the effectiveness of various SPE programs. Results could be used in planning standards, selection and control of the achieved physical abilities level. Social implications – Changes could contribute to the positive effects of the educational process on improvement of students’ physical abilities. Originality/value – This is one of the few studies which examine the influence of quantitatively different teaching programs on the level of physical abilities within a period of 15 years.

Regardless of sex or body size, police tasks may require officers to change direction speed (CODS) under occupational loads. The purpose of this study was to investigate body composition and CODS in female and male police cadets in both unloaded and occupationally loaded conditions. Body composition and CODS of 51 female (FPC) and 70 male police cadets (MPC) were assessed. Six body composition indices were used: Body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (PBF), percent of skeletal muscle mass (PSMM), protein fat index (PFI), index of hypokinesia (IH), and skeletal muscle mass index (SMMI). The CODS was assessed by Illinois Agility Test (IAT) and IAT while carrying a 10-kg load (LIAT). An independent sample t-test was used to identify the differences between the sexes. The regression determined associations between body composition and LIAT. The alpha level was set at p < 0.05 a priori. MPC had significantly higher (p < 0.001) BMI, PSMM, PFI and SMMI and lower PBF and IH than FPC. MPC were also faster in IAT and LIAT, carrying lower relative loads that imparted less of an impact on CODS performance. Body composition was strongly associated with the time to complete LIAT (R2 = 0.671, p < 0.001). Difference in relative load and body composition influenced CODS performance in both unloaded and loaded conditions. Thus, optimizing body composition through increasing skeletal muscle mass and reducing fat mass could positively influence unloaded and loaded CODS performance and improve elements of police task performance.

Female police officers may be required to pursue offenders on foot while wearing occupational loads. The aim of this study was to determine relationships between fitness measures and change of direction speed (CODS) in female police officers and the influence of their occupational loads. Retrospective data were provided for 27 female police officers (age = 32.19 ± 5.09 y, height = 162.78 ± 5.01 cm, and mass = 71.31 ± 13.42 kg) and included fitness measures of: lower-body power (standing long jump (SLJ)), upper-body and trunk muscle endurance (push-up (PU) and sit-up (SU)), aerobic power (estimated VO2max), and CODS (Illinois agility test). The CODS test was performed without and with occupational load (10 kg). Paired sample t-tests (between-load conditions) and Pearson’s correlations (relationships between measures) were performed with linear regression analysis used to account for the contribution of measures to unloaded and loaded CODS performance. CODS was significantly slower when loaded (unloaded = ~23.17 s, loaded = ~24.14 s, p < 0.001) with a strong, significant relationship between load conditions (r = 0.956, p < 0.001). Moderate to strong, significant relationships were found between all fitness measures ranging from estimated VO2max (r = −0.448) to SU (r = −0.673) in the unloaded condition, with the strength of these relationships increasing in the loaded condition accounting for 61% to 67% of the variance, respectively. While unloaded agility test performance was strongly associated with loaded performance, female police officer CODS was significantly reduced when carrying occupational loads. A variety of fitness measures that influence officer CODS performances become increasingly important when occupational loads are carried.

Police officers engage in movements such as foot pursuits, sudden directional changes, or prolonged sprinting while wearing occupational loads (including body armor, baton, radio, handcuffs, and sidearm). This study investigated the effects of incrementally heavier loads carried by police students on their physical performance. Police students (n 5 63; male n 5 39 male and 24 female students) performed an acceleration over a 10-m distance (Acc 10m ), Illinois agility test (IAT), and 300-yard shuttle run test (ShR 300y ) without load, with a 5-kg load (handgun, spare empty magazine, baton, and handcuffs), and with a 10-kg load (loaded vest). The effects of different load conditions were investigated for both sexes using a repeated-measure analysis of variance and Cohen's effect size. Female students carried relatively heavier loads and were slower than male students in Acc 10m , IAT, and ShR 300y . Load significantly (p , 0.001) impaired the performance in Acc 10m , IAT, and ShR 300y in both sexes, but the effects were greater (p , 0.001) among female police students. A load as little as 5 kg was sufficient to reduce Acc 10m , IAT, and ShR 300y among police students. Increasing the load to 10 kg (i.e., wearing the body armor) did not significantly affect Acc 10m and IAT among male students, but it did affect Acc 10m and IAT among female students. Sprint endurance (i.e., ShR 300y ) was strongly affected by both loads regardless of sex. Strength and conditioning programs should focus on strength, power, and anaerobic endurance to improve performance while carrying occupational loads. Occasional training with loads similar to those at work may further ensure that officers are fit for purpose.

Aim. The aim of this study was to investigate if the SPE classes were sufficient to improve the police students’ aerobic endurance over the period of 12 weeks; and to investigate if two additional aerobic trainings per week may have an effect on the students’ aerobic endurance. Materials and Methods. An initial and final estimated maximal oxygen consumption of 233 (♀87 and ♂146) police students were assessed at the begging and after 12 weeks of training. All participants were performing SPE classes as part of the curriculum, while experimental groups (♀39 and ♂81) conducted two additional trainings for aerobic endurance. A repeated-measure analysis of variance was used to analyze the effects of the treatments and the differences between the treatments. Results. The SPE with two additional aerobic endurance trainings significantly improved students’ aerobic endurance in both sexes (14 %, p < 0.01). Two aerobic trainings alone had large effects on aerobic endurance female (11.66 %, p < 0.01) and male (12.15 %, p < 0.01) police students. Conclusions. Relatively simple aerobic training, applied two times per week, could provide meaningful changes in aerobic endurance. Practitioners could use the period while police students are at the university to educate them on how to organize and conduct basic phy­sical training on their own.

This study investigated whether intellectual potential, personality, and physical fitness at recruitment predicted study success in police students (future officers), and whether biological sex influenced these factors. The intellectual potential (high school success and Serbian language test), personality traits (Big Five), and physical abilities (standing long jump, push-ups in 10-seconds, 30-seconds sit-ups, 12-min Cooper running test, and a whole body contract-extend test) of 115 students were assessed on their day of recruitment. Academic success (time-to-graduate and grade point average) were collected at graduation. An independent sample t-test and linear regression were used to determine between-sex differences and predict academic success. Between-sex differences occurred in Serbian language test, the extraversion personality trait, standing long jump, 10-second push-ups, 30-second sit-ups, running, and grade point average. Recruitment measures significantly predicted ( p < .05) grade point average in male ( R2 = 0.344) and female ( R2 = 0.636) students. High school success was the most significant predictor in males, while high school success, Serbian language test, and 10-seconds push-ups were significant predictors in females. Personality traits and physical abilities may differ between male and female police students, but individually they do not significantly predict the academic success, regardless of sex. However, higher prediction power in academic success in female students may reduce the cost of training and improve workforce employment, while higher levels in physical abilities may reduce the dropout rate, improve health, and provide the potential their ability to complete physically demanding tasks.

Abstract:The aim of the research was to determine the trends of changes on the Academy of Criminalistic and Police Studies (ACPS) entrance exam. Furthermore, the paper is to find whether there are any differences between the sexes in the terms of the results of the entrance exam. 1.576 examinees participated in the research (621 female and 955 male), all of which entered the ACPS as the students of basic and vocational studies. The paper analyses their scores in all components of the exam: High School Achievements (HSA), General Knowledge Test (GKT), Serbian Language and Literature Test (SLLT), the Level of Basic Motoric Abilities development (BMA) and the overall number of points achieved on the test. The results were firstly analysed by applying the basic descriptive statistics procedure, which determined the equation of trend of changes and R-squared values. The existence of the general variability differences between groups was determined by using MANOVA, while for the determination of partial differences between pairs of variables the Bonferroni test was used. The 1 This paper is the result of the research on project: "Management of police organization in preventing and mitigating threats to security in the Republic of Serbia", which is financed and carried out by the Academy of Criminalistic and Police Studies, Belgrade -the cycle of scientific projects 2015-2019.Radivoje Janković, Nenad Koropanovski[94] NBP • Žurnal za kriminalistiku i pravo positive changes trend for both sexes in HSA and the negative one in SLLT were demonstrated. In females, a positive trend in BMA and a negative GKT trend were observed. However, an opposite effect was detected in males. Nevertheless, despite the different trends in individual tests, the overall number of points achieved on the entrance exam demonstrated a positive trend of changes in both populations. MANOVA results showed that the females had statistically better results in HSA, SLLT and BMA variables, but worse results in GKT. The overall result on the entrance examination taken into account, the females had statistically better scores by 3.31%.

The aim of this paper is to determine gender based differences as well as the initial standard values for evaluation of simple visual reaction time in both male and female students of the Academy of Criminalistic and Police Studies (ACPS)in Belgrade. The method used in this research was laboratory testing. All datasampling was performed using the specially designed testing software that recorded reaction time with 1 ms precision. The variable used in this research, that is Simple Visual Reaction Time (SVRT), was calculated as a mean of 3 trials with the shortest Reaction Time from 5 correct attempts and was expressed in ms. The research sample in this study consisted of a total of 97 subjects, of which 45 females and 52 males. All subjects were third-year students of the ACPS in Belgrade. Based on the obtained results it was determined that