Saturday, February 05, 2005

Cops on Steroids

Four Oklahoma police officers were fired for using and selling steroids. I see quite a few cops, especially in the larger Texas cities, bulked up to near inhuman proportions, frequently with Barry-Bonds-style forehead bulges. (Austin and Houston both have more than their share matching that description.) I've always wondered if steroid use was the probable explanation. From this example, it seems likely. AP quoted a police psychologist who said:
"There is sort of an underground, unspoken tradition among several departments that I've worked with that if you really want to bulk up, this is the best way to do it."

However, steroids also can lead to heart disease, liver damage and shrunken testicles, as well as uncontrolled aggression, or "roid rage," which can be especially dangerous in a law officer.

(Insert shrunken testicle joke here.)

Last year in the State of the Union address, President Bush called for eliminating steroid use in sports -- the public would have been better served if he'd called for their banning in law enforcement.

No comments: