15 BSO deputies taken off patrol during steroids inquiry

15 Broward County Sheriff's deputies taken off patrol during steroids inquiry
But if drugs are prescribed, that is not a violation
By John Holland and Bob LaMendola | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
February 26, 2009
Fifteen Broward Sheriff's deputies have been pulled off the street because of suspicion they used steroids, but they may not need to give up their old jobs for long, officials said Wednesday.

Agency policy allows deputies to take steroids and similar muscle-building drugs if they are prescribed by a licensed physician. That could protect the deputies no matter what their drug test results show in 10 days or so, an agency spokesman said.

Jim Leljedal, the spokesman, stressed it's too early to say whether the deputies even took the drugs, let alone whether they did so under doctor's orders.

"There's probably nothing we could do if that's the case," Leljedal said. "The policy indicates that if there is a legitimate doctor -patient relationship, and they were prescribed in that situation, then they would be allowed."



Leljedal provided few specifics and would not name those involved, saying the case is under review by the Internal Affairs unit. He did say that 15 deputies and one civilian employee were shifted to office assignments last Friday after a lengthy investigation into reported steroid use, but would not comment on what prompted the inquiry.

The deputies come from "various ranks," and are spread throughout the agency's sprawling coverage area, Leljedal said.

Under Sheriff's Office regulations, all deputies and civilian employees are subject to drug testing, which is performed daily on a random basis, Leljedal said. Personnel also may be tested for any reason without warning, he said.

Leljedal said the policy is designed to distinguish between abuse and legitimate medical need.

"There are a lot of legitimate therapies and medical reasons for a doctor to prescribe anabolic steroids, and we can't very well tell our deputies they aren't entitled to the same treatment as anyone else," he said.

Steroids aid in muscle development and are prescribed to help men with low testosterone levels and a variety of muscle-related maladies. They alsohelp patients of both genders recover from injury.

But the drugs pose an extra risk for police officers, some experts said.

Steroids may cause mood swings and over-aggressiveness, a problem for officers who need to keep calm in stressful situations and while on patrol, said Dr. Richard Weisman, director of the Poison Information Center at the University of Miami. "The last thing I would want to do is deal with a police officer who was abusing steroids and had a very short fuse," Weisman said.

This isn't the first time a steroids investigation has involved the Broward Sheriff's Office.

In 2005, the names of eight deputies were found in records seized from a Deerfield Beach drug company suspected of selling steroids without a prescription. An internal affairs investigation later cleared the deputies, who were customers of the company.

During the federal trial of a Fort Lauderdale Is your Fort Lauderdale restaurant clean? - Click Here. man accused of the 2004 fatal shooting of Deputy Todd Fatta, defense attorneys raised questions about the officer's steroid use and whether that might have made him overly aggressive. Fatta was among a group of officers conducting a raid on Kenneth Wilk's home.

A medical examiner detected two forms of anabolic steroids in samples taken from Fatta's body after his death, according to a lab report entered into the court record.

The judge in Wilk's 2007 trial for killing Fatta did not allow that evidence to be used. Jurors convicted Wilk of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to life in prison.

John Holland can be reached at jholland@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4516

And your point is what Mr Heart Bill ???

Ouch..

And your point is what Mr Heart Bill ???

Vanessa, his point was...wait...are you still trolling this place to see if someone is talking about Mike? Move on already!

And your point is what Mr Heart Bill ???

Vanessa, his point was...wait...are you still trolling this place to see if someone is talking about Mike? Move on already!

Double WOW and stop already, this is doing none of us any good. The person you refer to has moved on, you should to. Let us talk about all the positive things that are going on, New Lts, New Sgts, New Ofcs, The Majs, OSSI, AVL etc. This is a GREAT time to be a cop. Look for the good, it is right in front of you...............................................

And your point is what Mr Heart Bill ???

Vanessa, his point was...wait...are you still trolling this place to see if someone is talking about Mike? Move on already!

WOW - that was low, even for some of you scumbags out there..... You obviously need to move on as well... To another profession that is...... Be a man and call and tell her that.... I would love to see her smack you down......

Be safe...

huh?