By William A. Weathers
The Cincinnati Enquirer

When Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis Jr. took office nearly 16 years ago, he didn't like what he saw.

Some of his uniformed deputies were so overweight and out of shape they could barely get out of their cruisers, much less chase a suspect.

"They looked awful," Leis said. "We had 300- and 400-pounders."

In December 1988, Leis instituted mandatory weight-to-height fitness requirements for the department, despite opposition from the union.

The policy survived an arbitration challenge and now, some 14 years later, the sheriff deems the program a rousing success.

Lt. Harold Jones can attest to that.

Jones, a second-shift supervisor, works in the Corrections Division at the Justice Center. Now 60, Jones struggled for more than 10 years to meet the standard.

When Leis instituted the standards, Jones - who had been a corrections officer since 1967 - carried 289 pounds on his 5-foot-11-inch frame. Now, he tips the scales at 228 pounds.

"When I first started, one of the criteria (for the corrections job) was to be a big person," Jones said. "It was hard for me and lot of other people (to lose weight)."

Jones, whose efforts to lose weight were complicated by heart problems and diabetes, was subject to progressive discipline over the years.

That discipline can include verbal warnings; restricted promotion eligibility; restricted opportunities for special assignments and off-duty employment; and suspensions. Firing is a last resort.

Jones' initial weight loss efforts included various diets and exercise regimes, and were unsuccessful.

Diabetes, and a couple of heart attacks, had always provided him with excuses, but the sheriff was unrelenting, Jones said. Everybody had to meet the standards to keep their jobs.

The South Cumminsville resident persisted with help from his fiancee, Toni Covington, who is a nurse.

"I tried because my job was in jeopardy. I wanted to continue my career," Jones said. "That was a great feeling when I stepped on the scale (in November 2002) and I was in full compliance."

Many of those employees who initially resisted the program now regularly work out with exercise equipment provided by the sheriff's office, much of it paid for by drug forfeiture money.

"It's not a battle anymore," the sheriff said. "A number of them (employees who initially opposed the program) came in and thanked me for forcing them into it. The facilities are there for the people to stay in shape and they use it."

The benefits of the program are twofold, Leis said. Being in good shape helps deputies deal with violent offenders. And being in good shape can help a deputy avoid a violent confrontation.

A lot of times the fact a deputy "looks the part" helps avoid such confrontations, Leis said.

"A big, fat sloppy officer comes up to someone and he commands no respect," the sheriff said.

The aim of the program is to get employees in shape, not to fire them, Leis stressed.

"We work with them. It's not an arbitrary thing. (But) if they can't make it somewhere down the line, they'll be fired."

Over the years, fewer than a dozen employees have been fired, Leis said. Before that happens, uniformed employees in patrol, corrections or court positions get an opportunity to take a nonuniformed job.

Leis, a Marine veteran who begins his day with a 4 a.m. workout at the downtown Cincinnati Athletic Club, says he meets the same fitness standards he expects of employees.

"I don't ask my men (and women) to do anything I can't do," he said.

This periodic Metro feature revisits past newsmakers. If you have a candidate, call William A. Weathers at 768-8390 or e-mail bweathers@enquirer.com