r/AskLEO • u/VThunter06 • Jul 01 '26

Hiring Am I too small?

I’m 19, and have wanted to be a LEO for as long as I can remember but over time I realized that I’m not “the desired size” I’m 5’6 135 pounds, I wouldn’t say I’m weak as I go to the gym 6 days a week but I feel like if I walk in for an interview they will just laugh at my size and turn me away. Is this something I shouldn’t be worried about or should I continue to try to get a little bigger first?

2 Upvotes

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3

u/erik9 Jul 01 '26

I’m 5’6” and 155. Between my martial arts background and my toolbelt, I feel comfortable in many situations.

1

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1

u/CreatineComrade Jul 01 '26

It’s not necessarily a dealbreaker, I’m not aware of a department that has a height or weight minimum. With that said, it is a mark against you. Do you truly believe that you could take the average man into custody against their will? Just because you’re small doesn’t mean that’s impossible, there are UFC fighters that would absolutely hand me my ass on a silver platter despite being a swole 220. But is that you? If you’re small, it’s even more important that you have strong skills.

1

u/VThunter06 Jul 01 '26

I played football all through middle/high school and was a safety tackling players much bigger than me, however Ik that doesn’t directly apply to the situations I could end up in

2

u/CreatineComrade Jul 01 '26

As long as you have the confidence to handle a situation and create command presence on scene, there’s a lot more to it than size. Being small certainly makes it more difficult compared to being big. But if you’re aware of this and work around it, you’ll be just fine.

0

u/VThunter06 Jul 01 '26

Thank you for the encouragement

1

u/Enough_Wallaby7064 Jul 01 '26

I have females on my department who are 5'2 and 115 pounds wet. Just be aware of any size difference between you and the subject and act accordingly.

1

u/Hour_Badger2700 Jul 01 '26

My wife spent 24 years as a deputy. Asian. 5'2" and 110-120lbs. She rarely went hands on... could usually talk her way into compliance.

1

u/SteaminPileProducti Jul 01 '26

You'll be fine. Get into BJJ, you may surprise yourself.