Cops and Steroids

**MyK** · 02-02-2006, 08:02 PM

http://articles.health.msn.com/id/100111139

Cops on Steroids
Forget ballplayers. More than ever, police officers are juicing up to get an edge on perps—but at what price? Men's Health investigates.

By: Sabrina Rubin Erdely, Men's Health Illustration by: Eddie Guy

Officer Jimmy (not his real name) knew his steroid use was paying off when, one day, the Ohio policeman needed to wrestle a suspect to the ground—and the guy crumpled like a piece of wet cardboard. "It took no effort at all," Jimmy marvels. For Kevin, a military policeman, his steroid epiphany came as he was throwing a rowdy patron out of a Southern California bar: Kevin grabbed the guy by his belt and yanked him right out of his chair. "He landed about 2 feet behind me," he remembers. Former Suffolk County, New York, officer Tom Foley had a steroid moment of a different sort when, while vacationing in L.A., he was pumping iron at Muscle Beach—with visions of his idol, Arnold, dancing in his head—and spectators started taking his picture.

"It was unbelievable!" Foley exclaims with a bashful smile, holding up a framed photo from that session: a shot of his shirtless back, an explosion of finely cut lats and traps. Foley, 33, is seated on the back porch of his girlfriend's Long Island home, enjoying the simple pleasure of breathing free air. He's on his very first weekend furlough from prison, where he's nearing the end of a 3-year sentence. And while he's stayed in excellent shape behind bars, he's no longer Muscle Beach buff. "Yeah, it was amazing," Foley says, peering nostalgically at the photo. "And that was on 200 milligrams."

Good Cop, Bad Cop

Call them Juicers in Blue. With their rippling physiques and flair for battling bad guys, they call to mind a flesh-and-blood Justice League—or at least a casting call for a Van Damme movie. And these three men are hardly isolated examples. Cops have long been a hush-hush subset of anabolic steroid users, says Pennsylvania State University sports-science professor Charles Yesalis, Sc.D., author of The Steroids Game. "Most of the police officers I've known who have used these drugs consider them a tool of the trade."

The phenomenon cuts across the country: In recent years, cops in nine states have been accused of steroid-related crimes. Like the four Norman, Oklahoma, police officers whose steroid use was uncovered during a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation last fall, and who were fired. Or the Tampa, Florida, cop who gave a drug dealer a thousand Ecstasy tablets from a police-impounded car in exchange for steroids and was sentenced to 2 years in 2003. Or the Pennsylvania officer who in 2002 pleaded guilty to steroid possession—and to selling 'roids to two other cops.

Such incidents are sufficiently widespread that the DEA has published a pamphlet called Steroid Abuse by Law Enforcement Personnel, whose cover depicts two uniformed officers surrounded by floating syringes. Still, because juicing cops are a secretive subculture within a secretive subculture, experts have a hard time quantifying the problem. "Resoundingly, yes, I've heard many, many accounts of police officers taking steroids," says Harvard steroid specialist Harrison Pope, M.D., author of The Adonis Complex. "But it's impossible to put a number on it. Even if I got a federal grant to study this, I wouldn't be able to get that number, because of the veil of secrecy." Officer Jimmy, however, is less constrained. "Steroid use is very pervasive in law enforcement," insists the 26-year-old cop. "I'd say, of the cops I know, 20 percent to 25 percent of them are using."

Whatever the true tally, it raises the question of what this means for the average, mostly law-abiding civilian. The next time you're pulled over, will you be hassled by an officer raring for a fight? If a cop loses control in a fit of 'roid rage, will your township get slammed with a brutality lawsuit? And, experts speculate, do steroids render cops less effective at their jobs, making you less safe?

"It hasn't been studied enough, and we need to know more," says Larry Gaines, Ph.D., chairman of the criminal-justice department at California State University at San Bernardino and the author of one of the very few research papers about cops on steroids. "We don't have a sense of the scope of the problem. And it is a potential problem, because of the potential for violence."

Officer Jimmy sees the matter differently. Although he professes to feel conflicted about juicing—it is, after all, a felony to take anabolic steroids without a prescription—he thinks 'roids made him a better cop. "What law enforcement needs is a little testosterone," he says. "Every cop should do a cycle a year."

Page 1 of 4......go to link for more of the story

**QuestionGuy** · 02-02-2006, 09:36 PM

wow, this story really breaks my heart...It's not because they are using steroids, its becasue they are using them illegally, and cops should be an example, but then again are you going to cut down the whole tree because of a few bad apples??? No, I bet there are firefighters and emt's using roids too, but because the media is so fixated on catching cops fucking up (like they are not human like veryone else)...its all the focus on....I would without a doubt turn in a felow police officer if i found out that he was using...

**largepkg** · 02-03-2006, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by QuestionGuy

wow, this story really breaks my heart...It's not because they are using steroids, its becasue they are using them illegally, and cops should be an example, but then again are you going to cut down the whole tree because of a few bad apples??? No, I bet there are firefighters and emt's using roids too, but because the media is so fixated on catching cops fucking up (like they are not human like veryone else)...its all the focus on....I would without a doubt turn in a felow police officer if i found out that he was using...

Dude! You are way to idealistic on this. All I can say is you would be shocked if you knew the true numbers.

On a side note my father was a police officer for 30 years, he's now retired. He was a steroid user in the early 80's. He used for about six years. Yes, it was illegal for a portion of the time he was using. This man was the most straight forward by the book cop I've ever known!

Don't paint such a broad stroke. Examine things case by case. You could be doing more harm the good.

**KelJu** · 02-03-2006, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by largepkg

Dude! You are way to idealistic on this. All I can say is you would be shocked if you knew the true numbers.

On a side note my father was a police officer for 30 years, he's now retired. He was a steroid user in the early 80's. He used for about six years. Yes, it was illegal for a portion of the time he was using. This man was the most straight forward by the book cop I've ever known!

Don't paint such a broad stroke. Examine things case by case. You could be doing more harm the good.

Cops that break the law are worse than criminals that break the law by far. I am sure lots of people would do steroids if they were legal. Hell, there are many things that are illegal that hurt no one but the people who choose to do them, but the American government has decided it must protect us from ourselves.
Basically, if I can't do it, cops shouldn't do it. A cop would be hauling my ass to jail if they caught me with gear, pot, or anything else I choose to put in my body on my private property, so send them to jail just like everyone else.

**largepkg** · 02-03-2006, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by KelJu

Cops that break the law are worse than criminals that break the law by far. I am sure lots of people would do steroids if they were legal. Hell, there are many things that are illegal that hurt no one but the people who choose to do them, but the American government has decided it must protect us from ourselves.
Basically, if I can't do it, cops shouldn't do it. A cop would be hauling my ass to jail if they caught me with gear, pot, or anything else I choose to put in my body on my private property, so send them to jail just like everyone else.

Your opinion is noted.

**ZECH** · 02-03-2006, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by KelJu

Cops that break the law are worse than criminals that break the law by far. I am sure lots of people would do steroids if they were legal. Hell, there are many things that are illegal that hurt no one but the people who choose to do them, but the American government has decided it must protect us from ourselves.
Basically, if I can't do it, cops shouldn't do it. A cop would be hauling my ass to jail if they caught me with gear, pot, or anything else I choose to put in my body on my private property, so send them to jail just like everyone else.

I see your point and understand it. But you have to put yourself in the shoes of the cop. If you were having to face criminals everyday that were bigger and outweighed you, and you knew you were going to have to wrestle or fight them to get them into custody, would you feel safe doing it if you knew you didn't have the advantage? I don't think so. The whole rift about cops harrasing you when they stop you, is a crock of shit. Steriods will only make you an asshole, if you were an asshole to begin with! Personally, if the police officers used responsibly, I have no objection to it. And that goes for the average person too. But we have idiots that do it, while not knowing what they are getting into. There is the problem.

**KelJu** · 02-03-2006, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by dg806

I see your point and understand it. But you have to put yourself in the shoes of the cop. If you were having to face criminals everyday that were bigger and outweighed you, and you knew you were going to have to wrestle or fight them to get them into custody, would you feel safe doing it if you knew you didn't have the advantage? I don't think so. The whole rift about cops harrasing you when they stop you, is a crock of shit. Steriods will only make you an asshole, if you were an asshole to begin with! Personally, if the police officers used responsibly, I have no objection to it. And that goes for the average person too. But we have idiots that do it, while not knowing what they are getting into. There is the problem.

I agree that people are who they are, and substances like steroids usually only amplify your true personality, and that there are good cops out there that only want to be the best they can at their job. But, there are banned substances that would help everyday people be better at their job or would improve their life also, but they would be behind bars if they got caught, so it isn't fair.

As far as your comment of harassing goes, of the 10-12 times I have ever been stopped, only one cop was an asshole. Holy shit was he an asshole, the old hillbilly faggot confused my friend and I with 2 people that escaped from work release the night before. He never asked for ID, told me what he was attacking me for, or even told me to freeze. The fucker just sticks his gun in my face and then pulls me out of my car by my shirt collar.
After his partner had realized an error had been made, he uncuffed us, and let helped us up. I demanded an apology from the asshole that cop that didn't follow any type of protocol, but never got one.
I guess one asshole out of 12 isn't a bad ratio, so I agree harassing isn't as bad as the media makes it out to be, but it does happen. I was just glad I was white, or I might have got the beat down.

**Witmaster** · 02-03-2006, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by KelJu

... I was just glad I was white, or I might have got the beat down.

You see... this statement tells me you have far greater issues than just an objection to "controlled substance abuse" You have a thing against authority, specifically, Law Enforcement.

**ALBOB** · 02-03-2006, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by Witmaster

You see... this statement tells me you have far greater issues than just an objection to "controlled substance abuse" You have a thing against authority, specifically, Law Enforcement.

The fact that he's been stopped 10-12 times didn't already give you that impression?

**BigDyl** · 02-03-2006, 10:30 AM

Size and strength don't matter, as long as you're extremely skilled in a martial art like judo or jiu jitsu.

**Witmaster** · 02-03-2006, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by ALBOB

The fact that he's been stopped 10-12 times didn't already give you that impression?

too true

**The Monkey Man** · 02-03-2006, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by BigDyl

Size and strength don't matter, as long as you're extremely skilled in a martial art like judo or jiu jitsu.

Or have some "Leverage" -

**DOMS** · 02-03-2006, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by dg806

I see your point and understand it. But you have to put yourself in the shoes of the cop. If you were having to face criminals everyday that were bigger and outweighed you, and you knew you were going to have to wrestle or fight them to get them into custody, would you feel safe doing it if you knew you didn't have the advantage? I don't think so.

Even then it's not fair. I've seen one guy hopped on crack take on 4 officers and almost win.

**BigDyl** · 02-03-2006, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by The Monkey Man

Or have some "Leverage" -

**KelJu** · 02-03-2006, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by ALBOB

The fact that he's been stopped 10-12 times didn't already give you that impression?

6 times for speeding when I was 16
4 times for seat belt violations in the last 7 years
1 time for broken tail light
1 time for being mistaken for a criminal

Hmmmm, looks to me like I am an average fucking American with the exception of the last stop. Driving record resets after 5 years, so I now have a perfect driving record, and I also have no criminal offences.
I give my respect to anyone who deserves it, I have never spoken back to my mother or father in my life, and I am a good student with great grades as I am about to graduate college. I have little problem with authority when the people in authority actually have my best interest in mind. I smoke pot between 5-10 times in a year, and I eat Psilocybin Mushrooms about once a year, and I will continue so long as doing these things in moderation improves my quality of living.
So, SUCK MY COCK!!!!

I have no objections to anybody putting into their body whatever they want. My objection is with inforcers of illegal substances who also happen to be users of illegal substances.

**ZECH** · 02-03-2006, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by DOMS

Even then it's not fair. I've seen one guy hopped on crack take on 4 officers and almost win.

Absolutely...........it took two other officers and myself one night about 4/5 years ago, fighting this guy to get him handcuffed. When we searched his car, we found crack. The two alone would have never gotten him under control I don't think. And this was after pepper spraying him 3 times. The asp was getting ready to come out

**largepkg** · 02-03-2006, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by dg806

Absolutely...........it took two other officers and myself one night about 4/5 years ago, fighting this guy to get him handcuffed. When we searched his car, we found crack. The two alone would have never gotten him under control I don't think. And this was after pepper spraying him 3 times. The asp was getting ready to come out

Very true! My father told me about one night he had. He was going to a call in which a neighbor said someone was screaming next door and it sounded like there was a fight. He was the first to arrive, with back up on the way. It turned out to be a large man by himself destroying his apartment. My father not knowing why this guy was acting the way he was tried to calm him down until back up could get there. The man rushed him and pinned him against one of the interior walls. My pop said he threw everything he had at this guy including kicks to the cherries and the man didn't flinch. It eventually took 5 officers to control him and arrest him. It turned out the guy was on PCP and had no prior record.

**BigDyl** · 02-03-2006, 01:52 PM

Roberto is like 5'6, 160. He's not strong. However he disarmed/neutralized 8 guys versus himself and 1 cop.

Then again he is a 4 stripe BlackBelt under the late Carlson Gracie Sr.

**Tough Old Man** · 02-03-2006, 03:26 PM

Wonder is that Cop that shot that military guy (just back from Irac) the other day in Chino, Calif was on ROIDS. All that guy looked like he was doing was getting up when the cop ordered him to.

**Witmaster** · 02-03-2006, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by Tough Old Man

Wonder is that Cop that shot that military guy (just back from Irac) the other day in Chino, Calif was on ROIDS. All that guy looked like he was doing was getting up when the cop ordered him to.

Oh no kidding. Based upon the video I've seen so far it doesn't look good for the cop!

**maniclion** · 02-03-2006, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by Witmaster

Oh no kidding. Based upon the video I've seen so far it doesn't look good for the cop!

Not good at all. Look at how he walks towards the victim as he fires. Anyone who feels threatened would back away from a threat. He did this intentionally, a cold blooded human being.

**Witmaster** · 02-03-2006, 07:50 PM

I still haven't heard/read the whole account. Why was he at gun-point in the first place? Regardless, it really looks bad when you tell a suspect to "get up" and attempt to execute them for following your orders.

**brogers** · 02-04-2006, 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by KelJu

Cops that break the law are worse than criminals that break the law by far. I am sure lots of people would do steroids if they were legal. Hell, there are many things that are illegal that hurt no one but the people who choose to do them, but the American government has decided it must protect us from ourselves.
Basically, if I can't do it, cops shouldn't do it. A cop would be hauling my ass to jail if they caught me with gear, pot, or anything else I choose to put in my body on my private property, so send them to jail just like everyone else.

Well put. A cop who's using steroids will be a hypocritical asshole for arresting anyone committing a "victimless crime" (like steroid use).

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