NYPD to start random steroid testing

Tom Hays / AP | April 10, 2008

The New York Police Department will soon begin randomly testing its 36,000 officers for steroid abuse in light of allegations that a criminal ring was supplying the drug to pumped-up officers.

Police officials insisted Wednesday that the decision to test for anabolic steroids — first reported in The New York Post — doesn't reflect a concern about widespread abuse at the nation's largest police department.

Instead, they said they wanted to drive home the point that using steroids without a prescription is illegal.

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Since the NYPD already tests for narcotics, it "only makes sense to include steroids," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said in a statement.

The department plans to begin the urine testing, expected to cost about $1 million a year, in July. Currently, officers are selected at random and tested for heroin, cocaine, marijuana and other illegal drugs using hair samples.

Union officials declined to comment on the plan.

Full article here.

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