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saw this on the news and thought it was interesting enough to post an article......
Dr. Frank Kardasz
Frank Kardasz (Ed.D.), is a sworn Arizona peace officer assigned to supervise the investigations of Internet crimes against children. His doctoral research focused on the subject of ethics training for law enforcement officers. see: http://www.kardasz.orgMain
July 25, 2007
Arizona - Phoenix, Chandler and Mesa police investigated for steroids
3 Chandler cops tied to steroid investigation
The Arizona Republic. By Eugene Scott and Venus Lee. 07/25/07
The Chandler Police Department confirmed Wednesday that three of its officers are now under investigation, part of a widening Drug Enforcement Administration investigation into steroid use among public safety personnel.
"From the information that was provided to us by the Drug Enforcement Administration, we have identified three city of Chandler police employees and we are conducting an investigation on our own at this time," said Sgt. Richard Griner, a Chandler police spokesman.
Griner said the employees are sworn officers, and that the department would not have any additional details on the investigation at this time.
Phoenix and Mesa police departments and Phoenix Fire have also been named in the investigation.
Phoenix police told The Arizona Republic that more than a dozen of their officers were linked to the investigation. The Mesa police department confirmed that one of its officers is under investigation.
A DEA spokeswoman said the agency is conducting an investigation regarding steroids and that the primary targets are not police, but doctors that improperly write prescriptions.
The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board oversees certification of all police officers in the state, though they do not conduct investigations.
"This (abuse of steroids among police officers) is all relatively new for us," said Bob Forry, the standards compliance unit manager of AZPOST.
They have had a total of six steroid cases since 2004. One case is still pending and the other five ended with officers losing their certification.
To combat the use of steroids among police officers, Forry said the board plans to partner with local departments to train investigators and will consider revising the administrative rules that do not explicitly state steroid usage and possession are grounds for dismissal. The document does not cover abuse of prescribed anabolic steroids.
Valley public safety agencies have had several instances of involvement with steroids.
In 2005, police found $1,200 worth of steroids in the home of Mesa firefighter Scott Bluemel. He later pleaded guilty to a felony charge and resigned.
Mesa firefighter Jeff Hinrichs was caught smuggling steroids across the border. He resigned months after his sentencing, when supervisors discovered his felony conviction. At 34, Hinrichs set a world record for his age division by bench-pressing 562 pounds at the North American Bench and Dead Lift competition and won a gold medal at the Arizona Police/Fire Games for bench-pressing 540 pounds in 2005.
Last year, two Phoenix police officers were ordered to be tested for steroids. One of them, Officer Bob Dietrich, was terminated.
Retrieved July 25, 2007 from http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/0725cr-steroids.html
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Phoenix, Arizona -12 officers probed in steroid case
By William Hermann, The Arizona Republic, 07/22/07.
At least 12 Phoenix police officers are under investigation as part of a federal probe into the criminal use of anabolic steroids, a department commander said Saturday. The use of the steroids, a controlled substance, for non-legitimate medical reasons is both a violation of department policy and the law. The investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration apparently centers on Valley physicians who may be illegally dispensing or prescribing the anabolic steroids. Some of the patients, including police officers, got swept up in it, according to Phoenix police Cmdr. Chris Crockett. Crockett said that to his knowledge, the DEA probe has also turned up names of officers from other Valley police departments. He did not, however, know which other agencies might be involved. Attempts to reach the DEA for comment were unsuccessful Saturday. Crockett, commander of the department's Public Affairs Bureau, said that he did not have the names of the Phoenix officers involved in the investigation.
No officers charged
He said none of the officers has "been charged with anything yet, and as I understand it they are still on duty." Anabolic steroids are a controlled substance in the United States and many other countries. Steroids have been widely used by body builders for years because of the drug's ability to increase the growth of tissue, especially muscle. Phoenix police officers may not use anabolic steroids unless they have a legitimate medical reason, according to department policy. Police recruits are asked on their application form if they have used various drugs, including heroin, methamphetamines and steroids. Violations can bring about disciplinary measures ranging from suspensions to termination. Doctors have been prosecuted nationwide for handing out prescriptions for steroids to people who have no legitimate medical need for them but simply want to build muscle mass. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said Saturday he knew about the steroid investigation but said he did not know details. "I've been briefed on this by (police) management, and the department is conducting its own investigation," Gordon said. "I'm confident we'll take appropriate action."
'Ahead of other agencies'
Crockett said that, distressing as it might be for the department to be facing the problem of improper steroid use by officers, Phoenix "is to my knowledge way ahead of other agencies in being proactive on steroid use." "I spoke with the commander in charge of our professional standards bureau. He said no other agency routinely random-samples officers for steroid use. Only Phoenix." Crockett said that concern about officer steroid use was great enough that about one year ago the random test that is administered to officers for drug use was modified to test for steroids. Several officers have tested positive for steroids in the random tests, Crockett said, but he wasn't sure how many. He said he's aware of one officer who just this week was placed on 40 hours' suspension from duty for using steroids. "That 40 hours was the recommendation of the Discipline Review Board, and Chief (Jack) Harris concurred," Crockett said. Crockett said that there are concerns about officers using steroids that go beyond possibly using a controlled substance illegally. He said that while he is no authority on the subject of "roid rage" - the uncontrolled anger often associated with those who abuse anabolic steroids - "obviously, anybody who would not be able to act in a controlled manner is something we would be concerned about." "I know there have been stories of people using steroids and doing some pretty bad things," he said.
Retrieved July 22, 2007 from http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/0722steroids0722.html
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Mesa officer in federal steroid probe reassigned
Jim Walsh. The Arizona Republic. 07/24/07
Mesa police are investigating whether one of their officers was illegally prescribed anabolic steroids as part of a federal investigation spreading through Valley police and fire departments.Police have declined to identify the patrol officer but said he was reassigned to administrative duties more than two weeks ago.Detective Chris Arvayo said Mesa police were notified by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration that the officer was listed as a patient of a doctor under investigation in the steroids probe. At least 12 Phoenix police and firefighters also have been named in the investigation.The internal affairs investigation will focus on the officer's relationship with the doctor and whether he was prescribed steroids. The DEA has said that doctors are the primary focus of their investigation, but the officers and firefighters may have violated their departments' drug policies.
Dr. Frank Kardasz
Frank Kardasz (Ed.D.), is a sworn Arizona peace officer assigned to supervise the investigations of Internet crimes against children. His doctoral research focused on the subject of ethics training for law enforcement officers. see: http://www.kardasz.orgMain
July 25, 2007
Arizona - Phoenix, Chandler and Mesa police investigated for steroids
3 Chandler cops tied to steroid investigation
The Arizona Republic. By Eugene Scott and Venus Lee. 07/25/07
The Chandler Police Department confirmed Wednesday that three of its officers are now under investigation, part of a widening Drug Enforcement Administration investigation into steroid use among public safety personnel.
"From the information that was provided to us by the Drug Enforcement Administration, we have identified three city of Chandler police employees and we are conducting an investigation on our own at this time," said Sgt. Richard Griner, a Chandler police spokesman.
Griner said the employees are sworn officers, and that the department would not have any additional details on the investigation at this time.
Phoenix and Mesa police departments and Phoenix Fire have also been named in the investigation.
Phoenix police told The Arizona Republic that more than a dozen of their officers were linked to the investigation. The Mesa police department confirmed that one of its officers is under investigation.
A DEA spokeswoman said the agency is conducting an investigation regarding steroids and that the primary targets are not police, but doctors that improperly write prescriptions.
The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board oversees certification of all police officers in the state, though they do not conduct investigations.
"This (abuse of steroids among police officers) is all relatively new for us," said Bob Forry, the standards compliance unit manager of AZPOST.
They have had a total of six steroid cases since 2004. One case is still pending and the other five ended with officers losing their certification.
To combat the use of steroids among police officers, Forry said the board plans to partner with local departments to train investigators and will consider revising the administrative rules that do not explicitly state steroid usage and possession are grounds for dismissal. The document does not cover abuse of prescribed anabolic steroids.
Valley public safety agencies have had several instances of involvement with steroids.
In 2005, police found $1,200 worth of steroids in the home of Mesa firefighter Scott Bluemel. He later pleaded guilty to a felony charge and resigned.
Mesa firefighter Jeff Hinrichs was caught smuggling steroids across the border. He resigned months after his sentencing, when supervisors discovered his felony conviction. At 34, Hinrichs set a world record for his age division by bench-pressing 562 pounds at the North American Bench and Dead Lift competition and won a gold medal at the Arizona Police/Fire Games for bench-pressing 540 pounds in 2005.
Last year, two Phoenix police officers were ordered to be tested for steroids. One of them, Officer Bob Dietrich, was terminated.
Retrieved July 25, 2007 from http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/0725cr-steroids.html
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Phoenix, Arizona -12 officers probed in steroid case
By William Hermann, The Arizona Republic, 07/22/07.
At least 12 Phoenix police officers are under investigation as part of a federal probe into the criminal use of anabolic steroids, a department commander said Saturday. The use of the steroids, a controlled substance, for non-legitimate medical reasons is both a violation of department policy and the law. The investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration apparently centers on Valley physicians who may be illegally dispensing or prescribing the anabolic steroids. Some of the patients, including police officers, got swept up in it, according to Phoenix police Cmdr. Chris Crockett. Crockett said that to his knowledge, the DEA probe has also turned up names of officers from other Valley police departments. He did not, however, know which other agencies might be involved. Attempts to reach the DEA for comment were unsuccessful Saturday. Crockett, commander of the department's Public Affairs Bureau, said that he did not have the names of the Phoenix officers involved in the investigation.
No officers charged
He said none of the officers has "been charged with anything yet, and as I understand it they are still on duty." Anabolic steroids are a controlled substance in the United States and many other countries. Steroids have been widely used by body builders for years because of the drug's ability to increase the growth of tissue, especially muscle. Phoenix police officers may not use anabolic steroids unless they have a legitimate medical reason, according to department policy. Police recruits are asked on their application form if they have used various drugs, including heroin, methamphetamines and steroids. Violations can bring about disciplinary measures ranging from suspensions to termination. Doctors have been prosecuted nationwide for handing out prescriptions for steroids to people who have no legitimate medical need for them but simply want to build muscle mass. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said Saturday he knew about the steroid investigation but said he did not know details. "I've been briefed on this by (police) management, and the department is conducting its own investigation," Gordon said. "I'm confident we'll take appropriate action."
'Ahead of other agencies'
Crockett said that, distressing as it might be for the department to be facing the problem of improper steroid use by officers, Phoenix "is to my knowledge way ahead of other agencies in being proactive on steroid use." "I spoke with the commander in charge of our professional standards bureau. He said no other agency routinely random-samples officers for steroid use. Only Phoenix." Crockett said that concern about officer steroid use was great enough that about one year ago the random test that is administered to officers for drug use was modified to test for steroids. Several officers have tested positive for steroids in the random tests, Crockett said, but he wasn't sure how many. He said he's aware of one officer who just this week was placed on 40 hours' suspension from duty for using steroids. "That 40 hours was the recommendation of the Discipline Review Board, and Chief (Jack) Harris concurred," Crockett said. Crockett said that there are concerns about officers using steroids that go beyond possibly using a controlled substance illegally. He said that while he is no authority on the subject of "roid rage" - the uncontrolled anger often associated with those who abuse anabolic steroids - "obviously, anybody who would not be able to act in a controlled manner is something we would be concerned about." "I know there have been stories of people using steroids and doing some pretty bad things," he said.
Retrieved July 22, 2007 from http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/0722steroids0722.html
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Mesa officer in federal steroid probe reassigned
Jim Walsh. The Arizona Republic. 07/24/07
Mesa police are investigating whether one of their officers was illegally prescribed anabolic steroids as part of a federal investigation spreading through Valley police and fire departments.Police have declined to identify the patrol officer but said he was reassigned to administrative duties more than two weeks ago.Detective Chris Arvayo said Mesa police were notified by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration that the officer was listed as a patient of a doctor under investigation in the steroids probe. At least 12 Phoenix police and firefighters also have been named in the investigation.The internal affairs investigation will focus on the officer's relationship with the doctor and whether he was prescribed steroids. The DEA has said that doctors are the primary focus of their investigation, but the officers and firefighters may have violated their departments' drug policies.