Of the 16 Broward Sheriff's Office employees who were tested for steroids three weeks ago, nine came back with clean results and will be returning to work, sheriff's spokesman Jim Leljedal told the Pulp today.
The obvious inference is that the other seven deputies tested positive, but Leljedal would only confirm that they will remain on leave and that the investigation is ongoing in those cases. He also told me that the investigation is over with the nine returning to work.
In addition, Leljedal relayed a message from Sheriff Al Lamberti in which Lamberti said, among other things, that deputies are forbidden from taking any prescription drugs without a prescription.
I'll take that at face value. I don't want to believe that it's code for: Yes, we'll probably look the other way as long as there are quack doctors willing to give deputies bogus diagnoses of "low testosterone" so they can keep juicing up. Imagine if Major League Baseball tried a similar copout (so to speak). Bud Selig would be the laughingstock of the nation.
I think it's a lot more serious with armed cops with billy clubs than it is with ballplayers and bats. Again, roids rage is real. Now try to say that fast five times.
I give Lamberti more credit than that, but we'll see how this settles out. One thing you can be sure of: I'm following it to the bitter end.
