Steroids not on Oklahoma City Police Department radar
Officers’ union says it supports drug testing being developed for next year
BY MICHAEL KIMBALL
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Published: November 30, 2008
The Oklahoma City Police Department and its officers’ union, the Fraternal Order of Police, are in negotiations to implement random drug testing in 2009, but steroids are not on the list of drugs to be tested for.
At the
International Association of Chiefs of Police conference this month in
California,
Phoenix police
Cmdr. Kim Humphrey told the
San Diego Union-Tribune illegal steroids are a growing problem among American police ranks.
Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty attended the conference but said he doesn’t think steroid use among police officers is a "systemic problem.”
"I don’t think it is running rampant through law enforcement agencies,” Citty said. "But I’m not going to sit here and deny ... there are some officers are either using or have used in the past.”
During Citty’s five years as police chief, three
Oklahoma City officers have been investigated on allegations of steroid use, police
Capt. Steve McCool said. Two of the officers were cleared. The third,
Sgt. Ira Buchanan, was disciplined in June 2005 for possessing and using steroids, according to an internal, written reprimand released to
The Oklahoman. Buchanan was suspended for 15 days without pay and ordered to attend a counseling program for substance abuse and image concerns. He successfully completed a one-year probation period and submitted to random drug testing for two years, coming up clean each test.
Oklahoma City police
Sgt. Ron Burks, a police union vice president, said the union supports random drug testing for all officers as long as the testing is "reasonable” and protects officers’ rights through due process.
"We don’t want our officers using drugs,” he said. "We don’t have a problem with the drug testing policy for that reason.”
Under the current agreement taking shape, Citty said officers would submit to random testing for common drugs of abuse like marijuana, heroin and barbiturates.
Asked if adding illegal steroids to the list was a goal of police administration, Citty would not comment. Citty and Burks also declined to comment on the specifics of the negotiations between the department and the union.
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When I first moved here I could not believe how even the law abiding folks are afraid of their own police force, I mean a real fear!! The folks in Edmond were and are the worse, those poor folks are so afraid of their police dept. when the police ask for anything like a new building the folks will not let them have one. Anything that can be used against the community that gave it to you, the police were and are not gonna get! I still try to figure out why the Edmond police go way out on I-35 and patrol out by Waterloo and write speeders tickets way out there. If I lived in Edmond, around Broadway and there was a major crime at Broadway and 15th...Just how long would it take an officer to get from I-35 and Waterloo to Broadway and 15th?? or to the Crescent Food Store if they got robbed?? That would tic me off if I needed a policeman and he was out on I-35 writing a ticket to someone doing 76 in a 70!!!!! The Highway is for the Highway Patrol I thought and for the County Sheriff too? The Guthrie Police don't go out on I-35 and patrol the highway they stay close to their people and keep them protected like they should...that is why there is NO CRIME in Guthrie, Those officers will not tolerate any wrong doing from anyone. The folks know it. We like our police. Starting next year we will like our new County Sheriff too!! These Boys do not mess around,
I just thank God I live in a city and County that has respectable Officers of the law, and they are not talked about at every Waffle House or IHOP as being a little uppity!!! with attitude to boot. The city you cover and patrol...The God fearing law abiding folks that have no criminal record...Like Myself!!! should NOT be afraid of their own police dept. That is just WRONG!