When I make the statement that back before LEO needed ‘college’, and when people were turned down - NO questions asked for being too small, too fat, too tall or basically unqualified for any number of reasons you would NEVER have a whole squad of Cops sit in place while awaiting orders to enter a building.
Right, Wrong or indifferent, when I was in school cops would have stormed the school and not sit out there while carnage was taking place seconds away.
Granted when I started school WWII was just winding down and as I got older, the majority of cops were vets who were ‘combat trained’ ..
When I got out of the Navy at 6’ 148 lbs, My local State Police recruiter started by thanking me and suggested I go work out, put some weight on and apply for a ‘local’ PD and then, only when my height and weight were proportional come back and see him.
That was in VA in 1964 and when a VA State Policeman arrived on the scene one was overly impressed with these tall, young MEN looking sharp in their uniforms.
Sorry folks, when LEO arrives on the scene you want someone who can ‘take charge’, not someone that a person of average height and weight looks over to see if he can take the LEO.
Virginia has always had good looking state trooper uniforms. For a very long time, their standard attire has consisted of sharply creased blue-grey uniform shirt and trousers and a dark blue “Smokey the Bear” hat.
They also used to have, in my opinion, the best-looking police vehicles in the country - until they changed the color scheme a few years back.