Steroid testing coming to one Texas police force

(CBS) ARLINGTON, Texas - Random drug testing for steroids will soon be done on the men in blue.

No, not major league baseball umpires.

Police officers in Arlington, Texas.

CBS DFW reports that all sworn employees of the city's police department will be subject to random drug testing in a policy change following a steroid scandal involving Arlington cops.

A 17 year veteran of the department, Thomas Kantzos, was arrested in June accused of buying and distributing steroids to fellow officers, while on the clock using city computers and equipment. He was indicted in July in federal court.

Kanztos' colleague, David Vo, who was also arrested in connection with the investigation, committed suicide.

A third officer, who was questioned but not charged, left the department.

According to CBS DFW, the new policy will likely be implemented when the new fiscal year begins October 1. The station says that previously only new hires, those getting promoted and officers working in security sensitive police units would be drug tested.

*"Now the random drug testing policy will apply to all sworn employees so throughout the year there will be random tests applied to employees throughout the department," said Tiara Richard, media relations coordinator for the Arlington Police Department.

Last week, Arlington City Council approved a $60,000 budget for the new testing.

CBS DFW reports that testing for steroids carries a higher cost than regular drug tests.

"If it costs $20,000, $60,000 or $100,000, if it helps our police and fire to do a better job and continue to do what they are supposed to do then it's worth it," said Mayor Robert Cluck.

"The purpose and the goal of this is to put some policies in place that will prevent this(steroid scandal) from happening again in the future," police spokeswoman Richard said.

The department, the city and the Arlington Police Association worked together for months to figure out how to expand the current policy, according to Becki Brandenburg, interim President of the Arlington Police Association.