The recent New Jersey Police Department steroid debacle has brought the question to the front of the table and placed a top the list of steroid users a new breed of offenders. DEA spokesman Lawrence Payne told AOL News just this week that performance enhancing drug use among our blue suits was something “we shouldn’t ignore” and the mess needs to be cleaned up.
Several stories broke in recent months connecting police brutality to steroid use; the “Claim” simply being, the aggressive brute force used was directly caused by the officer(s) use of PED’s. For example, the case of Travis Lamont of the Orlando boys in blue; during Lamont’s “service to the community” he tackled an 84 year old man, breaking the frail old man’s neck; it was discovered that officer Lamont was in-fact using steroids at the time and boom, there’s the culprit. Then there’s the case of Tony Macik of the South Bend Police Department; Macik served a 300 day prison term for distributing AAS and assaulting a co-worker of his wife; it was Macik’s personal steroid use that was blamed for the assault. There are several different instances of brute force and assault used at the most inappropriate of times and in these steroids was deemed the evil spawn of the behavior.
So where lies the truth in all of this? Is it the steroids, are the officers in question overstepping the line because of steroid use or could it be possible these officers in question were merely jackasses to begin with? Being as there are millions of Americans who use steroids and PED’s every day and none of them come close to even kicking a dog, I’m leaning towards an emphatic “YES” these Asphalt Cowboys in question were pricks long before the first needle pricked their skin; unfortunately, the badge seems to bring this out in some.
Explanation:
California State University Dept. of Criminal Justice chairman Larry Gaines has stated the increase in steroid use among officers is getting worse because of the increased and strict manner in which the five-O is expected to perform. Really Larry, is that your answer? I’ve traveled all over this country and sure, there are many officers in great physical shape but I’m sorry, many still thrive on an IV of police food and have an addiction to the badge of doughnut honor far more than anything else.
Larry Gaines
Let’s look at the core issue. Using PED’s without a prescription is against the law; a law many of us have broken including yours truly. For police officers, they are entrusted with enforcing and protecting where the law requires; to arrest and harass those who are doing the same thing you are is not only hypocritical it’s downright evil.
The bottom line is simple; like many of you, the boys in blue have more and more begin to realize the positive benefits of PED use; sounds simplistic doesn’t it? Sure, it does but sometimes we make things a lot more complicated than they really are. If there was ever a group of people who had an opportunity to re-open the door of the PED argument in terms of the law itself this would be the time and these would be the people. Unfortunately, most will likely hide behind the curtain of fear and discontent but imagine if a group of men who are entrusted in enforcing the law stood up and said “This law is wrong.” Will that ever happen? Probably not; if the PED laws are to ever change a different avenue will have to present itself but let’s be honest, for those that understand the truth about PED’s if there was ever a group of people who should be allowed to use them would it not be those protecting us?
