New York City’s largest cop union is suing Police Commissioner Edward Caban and Mayor Adams for implementing a new “zero tolerance” policy on NYPD officers using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs, the Daily News has learned.

In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on Friday, lawyers for the Police Benevolent Association alleged the previously undisclosed policy flies in the face of a legal agreement the union entered into with the city in 2011.

The 2011 contract prohibited officers from ingesting or possessing any anabolic steroid or other forms of human growth hormones without a medical prescription. However, the old standard didn’t require officers to run any such prescription by their NYPD district surgeon before starting to use it.

The new protocol — which was enacted on Dec. 26, 2023, and described in an internal memo reviewed by The News as a “zero tolerance drug policy” — beefs up the old rule by affirming that officers must “immediately notify their district surgeon” of any steroid prescription they receive and provide “all supporting medical documentation” to the surgeon backing up the need for the drug.

  • Hobbes_Dent@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    As a pilot can’t use many meds so should a cop not use substances with side effects of aggression.

  • TunaCowboy@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    On one hand, I can think of good reasons not to disclose HRT or any other personal medical information to your employer, ‘district surgeon’ or not.

    On the other hand, ACAB, get fukt.

    • Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      I’m kinda conflicted on this… there’s a decent amount of medications that, if your employer knew you were prescribed them, would typically result in being discriminated against or fired. Stimulant meds for ADHD, HRT, chronic pain meds, etc.

      If the meds are prescribed for a legitimate need I feel that should remain undisclosed. They aren’t the military (even if they should be treated as such), the government doesn’t literally own them.

      • ultranaut@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        They aren’t the military but they do wield lethal force on behalf of the state. It’s not a normal employee/employer relationship at all. With that level of responsibility it seems reasonable that maximum transparency should be expected of them.

        • Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          7 months ago

          Absolutely. There should be real disciplinary actions backed with a potential Leavenworth equivalent.

          I still think exposing medical history is kinda skeevy, and would absolutely be used in a malicious and discriminatory way.

          • Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            Bringing in a valid prescription is all that is ever needed when faced with a positive drug test. In my experience you never have to disclose what it is for. For someone representing the state carrying a fire arm, what drugs you consume should definitely be disclosed

      • TunaCowboy@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Must be terrible to become a victim of institutional oppression.

        My heart goes out to all the class traitors that are negatively affected by this systemic injustice.

      • Passerby6497@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        They have a monopoly on violence, so they should absolutely have to disclose when they take a substance known for making people aggressive, unstable and violent.

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        7 months ago

        I knew a black trans woman cop in Orlando almost fifteen years ago. She occasionally showed up at the trans support group meetings. I wasn’t really friends with her and we didn’t stay in touch after I moved so I have no idea what she’s up to now.

        Funny enough, the support group was run by a trans woman who was a staunch Republican and the leopards kept eating her face even back then.

  • 800XL@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    How dare they try and tell the Tiny Testicle Tazer Team Task Force not to juice anymore!

  • jpreston2005@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    That’s cool, cops mad because they want to be able to pump themselves full of illegal drugs known to cause increased aggression and paranoid delusions without facing any consequences. I mean, when has a cop ever faced consequences, so it must be truly mystifying to them that they’re being told to stop taking drugs tone down their rampant drug use.

    • Aolley@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      If all cops ate seven grams of magic mushies I think the world would be a much better place for everyone who has to deal with cops

      • MrVilliam@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        That high of a dose would cause such uncomfortable introspection that very few (if any) cops would want to continue being a cop after that.

        So yeah, I guess what I’m saying is that I agree with you. Much better for everybody.

  • Kalysta@lemm.ee
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    7 months ago

    Wait. So the cop mayor finally does one thing right with his out of control police force, and is immediately sued by a bunch of roided up angry cops?

    Checks out.

  • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
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    7 months ago

    Their tiny cop brains can’t compete with the contradictions. I gotta say, I like seeing conflict between these two parties.

  • Son_of_dad@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    I once was making a left turn in a busy city road. As there was a break in the crowd, I made my turn, and out of the crowd, on the sidewalk, zipping down the opposite direction of the crowd comes a cyclist out on nowhere, and almost smashed into me. Of course the cyclist was at fault for being on the sidewalk and going against traffic, but in a cyclist city, those idiots are always blameless.

    Anyways, a roided up cop on a bike chases my car down and punches it, leaving a dent on it. I pull over and he immediately draws his gun and starts shouting at me. He punches my car again and continues raging. Anyways, turns out the cyclist was the one who broke the law so the cop couldn’t cite me, so instead he gave me a ticket for an illegal left turn, even though the sign above said it was perfectly fine.

    • bigpEE@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      You pulled a hit and run and are complaining that you got a ticket and a dent?

      • Son_of_dad@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        He hit ME. and took off. I stopped.

        You call it a hit and run when you’re not paying attention and smash into the side of someone else’s car?

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    Lots of guys juice in the military too, it’s not on standard drug tests because it’s not a “fun” drug.

    And even tho it’s obvious when someone is using, they just ignore it

        • gregorum@lemm.ee
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          This user is this community’s resident both-sideser, frequently making contrarian posts and comments, often using whataboutisms and other logical fallacies, in an attempt to muddy the waters in political discussions. They do it so often, they’ve gotten a reputation for it here.

  • someguy3@lemmy.ca
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    7 months ago

    Honestly if I’m going to get into wrestling matches that decide whether I live or die, I’d probably take steroids.

    I wonder what the reaction to this will be. *Whoo. I guess comments must be acab instead of nuanced.

    • Son_of_dad@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      The idea that cops are in danger every day is complete propaganda. I’m a building maintenance worker, and my job is like 10 spots above cop in dangerous/most on the job deaths in North America, nobody throws us a parade and city funeral when we die. My job is more dangerous than a cops, and I manage to do it without killing anyone

      • cerement@slrpnk.net
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        7 months ago

        remember, the bullet proof vests that police demand for safety were invented by a pizza delivery guy

      • someguy3@lemmy.ca
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        Who said everyday? Who said that means you need to kill people?

          • Everythingispenguins@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            As someone who has worked in 5 of the top 10 on that list. I just want to say I have never needed steroids. Not even once, and as far as I know I am not dead. I have been hurt a number of times (lucky not seriously) and can’t think of one where steroids would have prevented the injury. A cool head did a lot more than strength to prevent injuries, something that steroids directly interfere with. The best way for a cop to stay safe is to keep a cool head not taking a drug that actively interferes with thinking out a problem.

          • someguy3@lemmy.ca
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            7 months ago

            Do you think taking steroids would help when a 1400 lb cow headbutts you? No. What about when a suspect tackles you? Yes.

            • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              Do you think a 1000 pound cow headbutting you is the only reason someone working around large animals might need a lot of strength?

              • someguy3@lemmy.ca
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                7 months ago

                You moved the goalpost. Mine was to survive life and death struggle and where steroids would help. You changed it to need (more likely want). Like what happens when you fail to pick up a bag of feed or move whatever heavy object? You try again. It’s not life and death. I’m not convinced you’re having a good faith discussion here, so ciao.

                • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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                  7 months ago

                  You might read that link I posted. Again, working with large animals is far more dangerous than being a cop and it’s not all headbutting.

            • Everythingispenguins@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              What about being good at deescalation? The best way to stay safe during a fight is to never have it. Police officers that have had good deescalation training are A: less likely to have to use force, keeping everyone safe and B: better able to see a fight coming so better able to request the resources needed sooner.

              Yes there are some edge cases, but planning only for the edge cases at the detriment of the more likely interactions is irrational and irresponsible. It is very likely steroid use increases a police officer’s chance of getting in a fight, thus increasing the risk of injury.

        • Son_of_dad@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          Well cops do in fact say that they’re in danger every minute of every day. We’ve heard their reps say it often, which is a false statement.

          This statement leads cops to believe they are indeed in danger 24/7 and every one of us is a threat, so they get scared and trigger happy and kill people they don’t need to kill. Have you tried approaching a cop recently? They act and look at you like you’re a locked up serial killer approaching them, and they’re the prison guards. They’re convinced we’re all out to kill him.

          I saw a funny YouTube video of a guy flirting with a cute female cop, having a nice interaction. Then another cruiser pulls up, saying it looked like the citizen was aggressive and trying to get violent with the female officer. That’s how cops are. Scared, paranoid, unreasonable…

    • halferect@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Are you saying the general public should be juicing so we can survive police attacks?

      • Thorny_Insight@lemm.ee
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        The general public don’t usually carry firearms. Police do. Losing a wrestling match comes with the potential threat of your own gun being taken and used against you. That means losing said wrestling match could mean death. This is why people who conceal carry are the most likely to stay the fuck away from trouble like this. Police don’t have that luxury.

        • DAMunzy@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          7 months ago

          They actually do have the luxury of standing back. Ask the officers at Uvalde. Ask the Supreme Court.

          De-escalation could also help. But, no, let’s arm these undertrained, ignorant, and stupid…

          • Thorny_Insight@lemm.ee
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            No, and I can’t possibly imagine what in my message made you think that. I’m more than happy to live in a country where the only people carrying guns are cops.

            • halferect@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              Because you said cops wrestling people could lose their guns and get killed so if cops “have” to wrestle people they probably shouldn’t carry guns because then they can’t lose them while attacking people

    • cerement@slrpnk.net
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      what drugs do you recommend for pissing your pants and hiding?

      EDIT: found it – need to send shipments of tamsulosin to Uvalde …

    • Aolley@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Do you agree that those who are tasked with upholding the law should be allowed to violate that same law with impunity?

      I understand your comment but I don’t see how it could overcome the above question in regard to police officers.

      • someguy3@lemmy.ca
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        7 months ago

        The question is not the most dangerous job. The question is how does taking steroids change that. Steroids won’t help an electrician when 50 MV go through him.