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That's a good thing. They are there To Protect And Serve. I wouldn't be able to count on some 90 lb weakling twerp to do much protecting. They also have to be large to be intimidating to enforce the law. If you're small, nobody wants to obey you.
I can see why big guys would want to be a policeman. They can use their size and strength legally to make quick work of the bad guy. However, most cops I been seeing lately are average or not much bigger than average. This one state trooper that I see at the gas station is really short, cant be no more than 5'5 or 5'6 but he thinks he's badazz. But, with all the weapons they have to take a person down, I guess size is no big deal.
NYC? Because I was telling my husband the same thing yesterday when I walked by four of them that were talking to each other and I was bigger than all of them.
I am a tall female (but not THAT tall) and I have to say, I am taller than 90% of the new recruits. I don't know---I don't feel like I should be towering over most of them. When I used to take a certain bus in the city that the academy must have been near, they'd pile on the bus and they were all short and half of them were kind of chubby. Not sure how they'd arrest big dudes or chase after people.
Does not make me feel safer...
Yes, NYC. Isn't that what "the city" means? I should have specified, but yes, it was New York.
I am an overly tall female, so they looked really short to me!
I work in the city, but live in Jersey, near the ocean. I feel the same way about the 100-pound lifeguards in the summer. Like they're REALLY gonna jump in the water and be able to save me if I'm drowning.
I suspect I'm on my own all the way around. Except that the cops have guns, of course.
Seriously, you can't go by TV. I see plenty of averaged sized policemen around here, and in Seattle.
Very few overweight or even built like football players, and many are fairly petite women.
I noticed the same thing when I lived in Seattle. They definitely weren't built like football players, but some were a little "husky" for sure.
Here in Denver most of the cops look pretty fit, come in a range of ages, and are mostly taller (5'10+) men with a few shorter guys and women mixed in. The fit part is probably because Denver is generally a fit city compared to most metropolises in the US. We also have a disproportionately high number of sexy firefighters here, not the typical blocky-looking guys I've seen in other cities.
You shouldn't go by what you see on television! Especially a lowbrow show like COPS.
The police officers in my city/county have been criticized in the news for being too fat. If they go through an in-house academy, they come out in shape; but, a lot of them end up becoming overweight because they aren't required to meet physical fitness standards after that. A lot of the people who self-sponsor through the community college academy are already out of shape and don't care to ever get in shape. The community college academy is popular because it has no physical training or physical fitness test for entrance.
I took care of the father of one of Chicago's finest at work and he wasn't much taller then I was. I felt sorry for him because of all the injuries he had received. One of my husbands female co-workers was shorter then I was. I'm glad she's retired now. Around here Police Departments can't discriminate against smaller people or there would be very few female officers and quotas wouldn't be met. One of the shorties that used to hang around is a police officer now. I wish she had chosen a different career. It's a hard life for all involved. Pursue your dream if you want MB, but think twice about it.
This is really kind of a silly question. Police need to physically subdue people, so obviously someone who is larger would feel their size is an incentive to become an officer. It's almost like asking why are most ballet dancers petite.
I think your ability to get people to listen to you and take you seriously is more important than size. For instance with me, kids and dogs know my "tough stance" is an act and don't listen to me or do what I say, they can just sense it. If you are the type of person that can make people listen and do what you say just by your general demeanor, I don't think it matters how big you are. But if you're too nice and generally don't project leadership and authority, I don't think you'd be successful in law enforcement.
Where I live most of the guys are tall and pretty big, but there are 2 females. One is about 5'2 and probably 120 lbs soaking weight. The other is probably 5'5 and about 130 lbs. Sorry, but if I have to call the cops I'd rather have one of the guys come to my rescue; and I say that as a woman.
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I should have specified, but yes, it was New York. 
