Portland police union's contract protects officers who take steroids

[SlyPokerDog]

The Portland police union's tentative contract contains a new protection for officers: They won't face repercussions if they take sports supplements that are "tainted with steroids or prohormones'' and test positive in random drug tests.

The new proposal, though, would essentially negate the Police Bureau's testing of officers for steroids, experts said Monday.

"If you test positive, you test positive. It's an illegal drug,'' said Dr. Linn Goldberg, head of OHSU's Health Promotion and Sports Medicine.

Because sport supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and are sold over-the-counter, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration have advised police officers across the country not to jeopardize their careers by taking the unknown substances.

Instead, experts recommend that police agencies or cities agree on a list of supplements voluntarily tested by their manufacturers that officers could use, said Phoenix police Cmdr. Kim Humphrey, who has written about steroid testing for the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Goldberg and Humphrey said they've never heard of the exception that's proposed in the next contract for the Portland Police Association. Humphrey called it ''unusual.''

"I don't get it,'' Goldberg said. "They're using something that was placed in a product illegally, but that's OK? It essentially voids the drug testing.''

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/...and_police_tentative_cont.html#incart_m-rpt-2

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Only in the People's Republic of Multnomah County.

 

[HailBlazers]

Most Portland Police I've ran across are fairly cool, but you can tell some look overly huge. However, I don't think it's a city of Portland only problem.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Most Portland Police I've ran across are fairly cool, but you can tell some look overly huge. However, I don't think it's a city of Portland only problem.

I agree that most Portland Police are pretty nice and normal people.

 

[MARIS61]

Most Portland Police I've ran across are fairly cool, but you can tell some look overly huge. However, I don't think it's a city of Portland only problem.

I had a Bend police officer commit an off-duty act of road rage where he chased me for several miles running red lights, driving in the bike lane and shoulder, trying to run me off the road and finally charging my parked car and trying to physically haul me out onto the pavement. Witnesses called police who arrived just in time to prevent one of us from being seriously injured.

All this in front of witnesses and with his 5 year old daughter in the back seat of his car. A client of mine knows him personally and confirmed the obvious that he's a weight-lifter who takes steroids. He's still on the force despite me filing a complaint, his Lieutenant telling me this was the latest of several complaints for out-of-control behaviour, and the judge throwing out the ticket I got.

 

[MARIS61]

I agree that most Portland Police are pretty nice and normal people.

The bureau has approximately 1,000 full-time officers, up to 100 reserves, 50 cadets, and 300 civilian positions.

I'm surprised that you know most of them.

 

[blue32]

I do believe the title of this thread is misleading as in that it is completely untrue.

Now that I said that, I also think that they should have to supply the supplement to the testers if they come back positive. So that they have to prove that steroids were indeed in the supplement. Otherwise there are way to many ways to get around taking illegal drugs.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I do believe the title of this thread is misleading as in that it is completely untrue.

I edited down the title of the Oregonian's article. The entire title wouldn't fit.


Portland police union's tentative contract protects officers who take supplements containing steroids

 

[BigGameDamian]

Hillsboro police are the worst.

 

[blue32]

I edited down the title of the Oregonian's article. The entire title wouldn't fit.


Portland police union's tentative contract protects officers who take supplements containing steroids

I know, but it still is misleading, at least imo.

They aren't directly taking steroids. It's if they 'accidentally' take them from tainted supplements.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I know, but it still is misleading, at least imo.

They aren't directly taking steroids. It's if they 'accidentally' take them from tainted supplements.

Really? You don't think if any are taking steroids they're going to use this and say it was by accident? "oh darn, it must have been that supplement"

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I had a Bend police officer commit an off-duty act of road rage where he chased me for several miles running red lights, driving in the bike lane and shoulder, trying to run me off the road and finally charging my parked car and trying to physically haul me out onto the pavement. Witnesses called police who arrived just in time to prevent one of us from being seriously injured.

All this in front of witnesses and with his 5 year old daughter in the back seat of his car. A client of mine knows him personally and confirmed the obvious that he's a weight-lifter who takes steroids. He's still on the force despite me filing a complaint, his Lieutenant telling me this was the latest of several complaints for out-of-control behaviour, and the judge throwing out the ticket I got.

Why didn't you just shoot him?

 

[3RA1N1AC]

yeah maris seriously, he was threatening your life in a real way

guess you are all talk

 

[blue32]

Why don't you go re-read my original reply to your misleading thread title.

Just because you think something may happen that isn't legit, doesn't make justification for your misleading thread title. You're spreading misinformation based on your assumption that they will be finding loopholes and excuses.

 

[blue32]

FYI, quite often supplements aren't regulated by the FDA, so maybe some Chinese manufacturer or some other seedy person taints the supplements that from the outside appear great and a cop gets a positive result for Steroids. I don't think that it's worth losing your job over do you? Now, on the other hand some may abuse this ruling and I am pretty sure that repeat offenders will go under scrutiny by IA; I mean wouldn't that make sense? So honestly I see no issue with this ruling.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Tainted Chinese supplements? Gimme a break, a pig on roids is bad news, it will give them even more penis envy

 

[MARIS61]

yeah maris seriously, he was threatening your life in a real way

guess you are all talk

Guess you weren't there.

 

[blue32]

Tainted Chinese supplements? Gimme a break, a pig on roids is bad news, it will give them even more penis envy

It was an example of what could possibly happen. Don't be a jackass. The point still stands regardless of your skewed view on police.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

FYI, quite often supplements aren't regulated by the FDA, so maybe some Chinese manufacturer or some other seedy person taints the supplements that from the outside appear great and a cop gets a positive result for Steroids. I don't think that it's worth losing your job over do you? Now, on the other hand some may abuse this ruling and I am pretty sure that repeat offenders will go under scrutiny by IA; I mean wouldn't that make sense? So honestly I see no issue with this ruling.

Ignorance about what is in your supplement is not a defense. If a condition of employment is not to take a supplement with steroids in it then you damn well make sure you don't take a supplement with steroids in it.

 

[blue32]

Ignorance about what is in your supplement is not a defense. If a condition of employment is not to take a supplement with steroids in it then you damn well make sure you don't take a supplement with steroids in it.

Thankfully, they don't have to worry about that because of this new contract stipulation; and I agree with it, as long as repeat offenders get looked at with their internal affairs dept.

Please realize that numerous (if not all) supplements are not regulated by the FDA, therefor they could have substances inside of them that aren't on the label. You are making an impossible stipulation that the American public needs to know what chemicals are in their supplements regardless of what they read on the label, which usually read safe.

I think what you really need to do is focus your attention to the FDA to make sure that they don't allow this type of abuse for products that are sold in GNC and the like.