An undercover operation discovered six Gold Coast police officers were using anabolic steroids for "no good medical reason", an anti-corruption inquiry has heard.
A Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) public hearing today was told the officers, mainly from the Surfers Paradise station, had been prescribed steroids even though they weren't suffering from any disease or medical problem which required them.
The CMC hearing follows the watchdog's Operation Tesco which investigated allegations of police misconduct, including that some officers had associated with criminals, engaged in drug use and misused confidential police information.
The evidence of steroid use followed testimony yesterday from the Gold Coast's senior officer Superintendent Jim Keogh that he had suspicions some young male officers on the holiday strip may be using such drugs.
Counsel assisting the commission John Allen said none of the officers were suffering any disease or medical condition that would justify the drugs.
"These officers were healthy - they gave varied reasons for needing the steroids including feeling tired, lethargic or just wanting to be bigger," Mr Allen said.
"Each sought this treatment from the same doctor who was prepared to assist the."
Mr Allen also told the hearing a professor who specialised in the effects of steroids had told the CMC people abusing the drugs had a tendency to use high doses of them, topping them up with black market product.
"They can get anxious, have sleep difficulties, become agitated, irritable, angry, can over-react to situations and their judgment may not be as balanced as it might usually be," he said.
Mr Allen said that could be of obvious concern if the person abusing steroids was an armed police officer.
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