**5. Conclusions**

The results from this study indicated that there were certain fitness characteristics that could influence reasons for academy separation in law enforcement recruits. Recruits that failed academic or training scenarios tended to be older than recruits who graduated. This could be influenced by time commitments external to academy for older recruits, or differences in fitness levels when compared to their younger counterparts that could influence recovery from academy stress. High-intensity running and change-of-direction speed, as measured by the 75PR, and aerobic fitness indicated by the MSFT, were poorer in recruits that separated, due to PT failures or injury. Recruits that separated for personal reasons also had lower aerobic fitness as measured by the MSFT. On the surface, these data sugges<sup>t</sup> that LEA recruits should enhance their high-intensity running and change-of-direction speed (including strength, power, and sprint ability) and aerobic fitness prior to academy to improve their chances of successful graduation. However, these results could also have been influenced by the PT practices adopted by the LEA staff, which involved high volumes of running. Recruits should be aware of the PT training adopted by a LEA, so that they can best prepare for the rigors of that specific academy. Additionally, LEA training staff should consider the total training load they impose during academy to ensure it is not beyond the physical capabilities of some recruits, as this could contribute to injuries or negatively affect a recruit's motivation to graduate.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, R.G.L.; Methodology, R.G.L., J.J.D., J.M.D., and R.M.O.; Investigation, R.G.L., K.B., A.M.B., M.R.M., K.A.C., J.J.D., J.M.D., and R.M.O.; Data Curation, R.G.L., K.B., A.M.B., M.R.M., and K.A.C.; Writing—Original Draft Preparation, R.G.L., K.B., A.M.B., M.R.M., K.A.C., J.J.D., J.M.D., and R.M.O.; Writing—Review and Editing, R.G.L., K.B., A.M.B., M.R.M., K.A.C., J.J.D., J.M.D., and R.M.O.

**Funding:** This research received no external funding.

**Acknowledgments:** The authors would like to thank the training instructors for facilitating this research, and the California State University, Fullerton tactical research team for collating the data.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.
