The ‘Toughest Cop’ Takes Most of His Shots on Athletic Field

The toughest cop alive is one of the following:

(1) The twin brother of former Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive lineman L. C. Greenwood.

(2) The real “Rambo,” on whose life Sylvester Stallone’s “First Blood” movies are based.

(3) A slim, grinning Simi Valley police officer who has never fired his gun on the job.

To his colleagues’ surprise, the man who has swept the “Toughest Cop Alive” title each of the five times it has been awarded nationally is 29-year-old Michael Bender, a detective in the burglary and auto theft division of the Simi Valley Police Department.

The blond, mustachioed Bender, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 181 pounds, looks as if he would be more comfortable on a surfboard than behind a badge.

‘You’ve Got to Be Kidding’

“I wish the title was different,” Bender conceded. “Everybody looks at me and says, ‘You’ve got to be kidding. You’re too skinny.’ ”

But Bender continues to have the last laugh at the TCA competitions, which pit law-enforcement officials from throughout the country against their colleagues in eight athletic events in a single day. The events are a three-mile run, 100-yard dash, shot put, 100-yard freestyle swim, 20-foot rope climb, bench press, pullups and a 761-foot obstacle course.

Bender’s most recent victory came two weeks ago in Washington, D.C., where he picked up his second consecutive East Coast trophy against 78 competitors who came from throughout the country, despite the competition’s regional title. He also has won the competition the three times it has been held on the West Coast.

Bender struggled to cite life-threatening situations on the job in which his agility, strength and speed have aided him, explaining, “Simi Valley is a pretty quiet city. I’ve never had to fire my weapon.”

‘Nobody’s Ever Gotten Away’

He said, however, that he has had numerous foot races with fleeing suspects, and, “Nobody’s ever gotten away.”

In August, Bender will carry his winning streak into competition against 400 police officers and firefighters from around the world in the first International Police and Fire Olympics in San Jose.

Larry Moore, athletic director for the Los Angeles Police Department and the man who created the “Toughest Cop Alive” competition, said Bender “has to be the odds-on favorite” to win the world title.

“He is an unassuming athlete,” Moore said. “I can show you photos of guys with great body definition. If you put them next to Bender, you’d say there’s no way he can win. But Mike just smokes them away. He’s a fine, fine athlete.”

The TCA competitions began in 1980 within the Los Angeles Police Department but expanded in 1982 to include officers nationwide. Moore stressed the importance of athletic competition as a tension-reduction tool for law-enforcement officers.

Support for Contests

“We would much rather have a policeman take out his aggression on a basketball court or on a softball field than on some unassuming arrestee,” Moore said.

Bender, who boasts impressive biceps but is no threat to the Incredible Hulk, said that, except for a one-year stint as a shot-putter in the 11th grade, he did not participate in competitive sports.

But he has been working out regularly, he said, since the 12th grade, when he began preparing to enter the police academy.

“I’ve always wanted to be a cop,” he said. “I guess that comes from growing up with Broderick Crawford and ‘Highway Patrol.’ ”

Win or lose, Bender said, he will retire from the TCA circuit after the San Jose competition. Training three times a day, he said, has taken its toll on his personal life.

“I’m ready to have a little fun,” he said.

The police union has financed his travel to the competitions, and his colleagues clearly have enjoyed his celebrity. Asked how truly tough Bender is, Simi Valley police officer Rex Jones responded:

“He is so tough that instead of bulletproof vests, we stand behind Mike.

“He is so tough that he can’t work in the rain because he’ll rust.

“He is so tough that the chief calls him ‘Sir.’ ”