# why are so many American police officers so hillbilly? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 10, 2016, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982 "2016-06-10T00:29:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/1 "2016-06-10T00:29:00Z")
They look like they came from the Appalachian than from the city!! They eat 4 times a day or more? East a lot of fast food? Eat lot of junk food?:eek::eek::eek: [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/FEMA_-_38491_-_Police_keeping_residents_out_of_Galveston_in_Texas.jpg/1024px-FEMA_-_38491_-_Police_keeping_residents_out_of_Galveston_in_Texas.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/FEMA_-_38491_-_Police_keeping_residents_out_of_Galveston_in_Texas.jpg/1024px-FEMA_-_38491_-_Police_keeping_residents_out_of_Galveston_in_Texas.jpg) [http://media2.s-nbcnews.com/j/ap/texas-student%20shot-1477623390\_v2.grid-6x2.jpg](http://media2.s-nbcnews.com/j/ap/texas-student%20shot-1477623390_v2.grid-6x2.jpg) [![](https://s.hdnux.com/photos/36/41/01/7999587/9/920x920.jpg) ](https://s.hdnux.com/photos/36/41/01/7999587/9/920x920.jpg) When you look at police officers from say Europe they look very different looking. Really skinny looking. Denmark police officers. [Crawfurd.dk | Jacob Crawfurd](http://crawfurd.dk/illu/weekly/royalwed3.jpg) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Female_police_officer_of_Denmark.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Female_police_officer_of_Denmark.jpg) Other police officers in Europe [http://www.therussophile.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/media.almasdarnews.comwp-contentuploads201604Danish-police-arrest-6b86908b00f242950ef63a599b11276fa2e4e3a5.jpe](http://www.therussophile.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/media.almasdarnews.comwp-contentuploads201604Danish-police-arrest-6b86908b00f242950ef63a599b11276fa2e4e3a5.jpe) [![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/11/06/article-2488912-193AEAF000000578-321_634x424.jpg) ](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/11/06/article-2488912-193AEAF000000578-321_634x424.jpg) [http://www.lindanieuws.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ANP-27590160.jpg](http://www.lindanieuws.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ANP-27590160.jpg) [http://www.infostormer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/german-police.jpg](http://www.infostormer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/german-police.jpg) [![](https://d.ibtimes.co.uk/en/full/1456576/migrants-hungary-austria-germany.jpg) ](https://d.ibtimes.co.uk/en/full/1456576/migrants-hungary-austria-germany.jpg) [http://www.aviacionargentina.net/foros/attachment.php?attachmentid=18281&d=1399563584](http://www.aviacionargentina.net/foros/attachment.php?attachmentid=18281&d=1399563584) [![](http://im.rediff.com/money/2013/mar/11nations-retire6.jpg) ](http://im.rediff.com/money/2013/mar/11nations-retire6.jpg) [![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2011/07/26/world/POLICE/POLICE-jumbo-v2.jpg) ](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2011/07/26/world/POLICE/POLICE-jumbo-v2.jpg) [![](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d4/99/9d/d4999d4af42d80434d264ab43a88ea51.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d4/99/9d/d4999d4af42d80434d264ab43a88ea51.jpg) [![](https://www.toledoblade.com/image/2011/07/24/800x_b1_cCM_z/Oslo-police.jpg) ](https://www.toledoblade.com/image/2011/07/24/800x_b1_cCM_z/Oslo-police.jpg) [https://thumbs.mic.com/NzdmZTgxNTc5YyMvbjdzbHRvZENVcnlNME1TVXhVTTczVHVGcTY0PS82NHgyMzozNDc5eDIwMzUvOTAweDUzMC9maWx0ZXJzOnF1YWxpdHkoNzApL2h0dHA6Ly9zMy5hbWF6b25hd3MuY29tL3BvbGljeW1pYy1pbWFnZXMvOGM4eXJydHZ5eDZoMmhpbWNxcjcya3Bna2FzdGxqZWZpeWVjcGFvM3ViZ3pqMHZvY2p3MXRlZWJsODZnZHMxYy5qcGc=.jpg](https://thumbs.mic.com/NzdmZTgxNTc5YyMvbjdzbHRvZENVcnlNME1TVXhVTTczVHVGcTY0PS82NHgyMzozNDc5eDIwMzUvOTAweDUzMC9maWx0ZXJzOnF1YWxpdHkoNzApL2h0dHA6Ly9zMy5hbWF6b25hd3MuY29tL3BvbGljeW1pYy1pbWFnZXMvOGM4eXJydHZ5eDZoMmhpbWNxcjcya3Bna2FzdGxqZWZpeWVjcGFvM3ViZ3pqMHZvY2p3MXRlZWJsODZnZHMxYy5qcGc=.jpg) Why is that? Why are police officers better looking in Europe? Less hillbilly looking? eat less? Only one or two times a day? Walk lot more than drive to work or the store? American police eat more???:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/2 "2016-06-10T00:30:56Z")
Your American links are all from Texas. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/3 "2016-06-10T00:37:03Z")
There’s nothing hillbilly about [this.](http://i0.wp.com/tvseriesfinale.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/chips.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/4 "2016-06-10T01:01:11Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > There’s nothing hillbilly about [this.](http://i0.wp.com/tvseriesfinale.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/chips.jpg) That was in old days probably when police officer eat only two times a day. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/5 "2016-06-10T01:24:58Z")
Probably just a smaller percentage of hillbillies in Europe in general, I would suppose. (Not well travelled, the hillbillies, unless you count Branson.) ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/6 "2016-06-10T01:44:03Z")
Here is an Australian cop to balance things out. [![](https://farm1.static.flickr.com/130/401828004_b157426eb9_m.jpg) ](https://farm1.static.flickr.com/130/401828004_b157426eb9_m.jpg) [![](https://i.imgur.com/WmhQYbk.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/WmhQYbk.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/7 "2016-06-10T01:46:44Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > They look like they came from the Appalachian than from the city!! They eat 4 times a day or more? East a lot of fast food? Eat lot of junk food?:eek::eek::eek: > [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/FEMA\_-\_38491\_-\_Police\_keeping\_residents\_out\_of\_Galveston\_in\_Texas.jpg/1024px-FEMA\_-\_38491\_-\_Police\_keeping\_residents\_out\_of\_Galveston\_in\_Texas.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/FEMA_-_38491_-_Police_keeping_residents_out_of_Galveston_in_Texas.jpg/1024px-FEMA_-_38491_-_Police_keeping_residents_out_of_Galveston_in_Texas.jpg) > > Why is that? Why are police officers better looking in Europe? Less hillbilly looking? eat less? Only one or two times a day? Walk lot more than drive to work or the store? American police eat more???:eek: …there are over 800,000 sworn police officers in the United States. You have selectively only posted 3 examples. Can I suggest there is a flaw in your methodology? You haven’t demonstrated anything here except you know how to use google image search. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/8 "2016-06-10T02:01:49Z")
> **[Law Enforcement Is the Fattest Profession, Study Finds](https://time.com/3637967/police-officers-fattest-profession-study/)** > > Along with firefighters and security guards > [@](#): > > Police officers, firefighters and security guards have the highest rates of obesity of all professions, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. > > According to the Journal, 40.7% of police, firefighters and security guards are obese. Other jobs with high obesity rates include clergy, engineers and truckers. > **[80% Of Police Officers Are Overweight; Why They’re More Likely To Die From...](https://www.medicaldaily.com/80-police-officers-are-overweight-why-theyre-more-likely-die-heart-disease-fighting-crime-298336)** > > The FBI released a new statistic stating that police officers in the U.S. are likely to gain weight that is detrimental to their health and careers. > [@](#): > > Recently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found that eight out of 10, or 80 percent, of law enforcement workers in the U.S. are overweight. I’m surprised firefighters are so obese. I don’t know if that is due to higher levels of muscle mass or what. I’d ‘guess’ a mix of sedentary living, high levels of muscle mass, stress eating and a lot of eating out contribute to police overweight/obesity. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/9 "2016-06-10T02:15:33Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …there are over 800,000 sworn police officers in the United States. You have selectively only posted 3 examples. Further more, in the first and third link, there’s an exactly equal amount of in shape/fit/not ‘hillbillie’ looking police officers right in the same picture. So really, all we got is one example. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/10 "2016-06-10T02:25:39Z")
Because there is no draft. Police officers serve voluntary, and the force gets whomever applies. I’m not taking the position that they are hillbillies, or bullies, or anything else, only that the makeup of the force reflects the temperament of the applicants. If police work rewards a certain temperament, that is who will apply. Same goes for law, medicine, or candlestick making. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/11 "2016-06-10T03:19:17Z")
So, “hillbilly” means “fat” now? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/12 "2016-06-10T03:22:38Z")
Why are so many American police officers Asian? [![](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ae/99/54/ae9954747aa4f08455589435a71369c0.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ae/99/54/ae9954747aa4f08455589435a71369c0.jpg) [![](https://media2.wnyc.org/i/800/0/l/80/1/ASIAN-AMERICAN-OFFICERS.jpg) ](https://media2.wnyc.org/i/800/0/l/80/1/ASIAN-AMERICAN-OFFICERS.jpg) [![](http://goldsea.com/Personalities2/Tomart/art4.jpg) ](http://goldsea.com/Personalities2/Tomart/art4.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emtar_KronJonDerSohn)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/13 "2016-06-10T04:04:11Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Why are so many American police officers Asian? > > [https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ae/99/54/ae9954747aa4f08455589435a71369c0.jpg](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ae/99/54/ae9954747aa4f08455589435a71369c0.jpg) > > [https://media2.wnyc.org/i/800/0/l/80/1/ASIAN-AMERICAN-OFFICERS.jpg](https://media2.wnyc.org/i/800/0/l/80/1/ASIAN-AMERICAN-OFFICERS.jpg) > > [http://goldsea.com/Personalities2/Tomart/art4.jpg](http://goldsea.com/Personalities2/Tomart/art4.jpg) Your def onto something. It’s it true they only eat one time a day? I heard it once I think. I guess u can’t bribe them with bbq’d pork like with Appalachians. 4 get out of jail free cards every day with them lol I guess i’m going to half to check out a Oriental phrase book from the libary, maybe to sweet talk my way out of some justice some day. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/14 "2016-06-10T04:37:56Z")
Doughnuts ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/15 "2016-06-10T05:39:43Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > There’s nothing hillbilly about [this.](http://i0.wp.com/tvseriesfinale.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/chips.jpg) We call the one on the right _Loma-guillermo_. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/16 "2016-06-10T10:54:48Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > [80% Of Police Officers Are Overweight; Why They’re More Likely To Die From Heart Disease Than Fighting Crime](http://www.medicaldaily.com/80-police-officers-are-overweight-why-theyre-more-likely-die-heart-disease-fighting-crime-298336) > > > [@](#): > > > > Recently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found that eight out of 10, or 80 percent, of law enforcement workers in the U.S. are overweight. I have [del]double[/del], no _triple_ checked the FBI’s math and I think they’re correct. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/17 "2016-06-10T11:12:47Z")
None of the European ones look skinny to me, they look normal. If they look skinny to you, check your definitions. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/18 "2016-06-10T11:31:24Z")
Because you in a heap o’ trouble, son. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/19 "2016-06-10T11:34:06Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > there’s nothing hillbilly about [this.](http://i0.wp.com/tvseriesfinale.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/chips.jpg) > [@sweat209](#): > > that was in old days probably when police officer eat only two times a day. lol. Smh. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982/20 "2016-06-10T11:57:23Z")
I blame guns. If American cops had to run to catch a criminal instead of shooting them from their cruiser, they’d be in better shape. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-american-police-officers-so-hillbilly/756982.md?page=2)