Wednesday, February 11, 2009

South Carolina Sheriff Blowing Smoke

Now comes news that Columbia, SC Sheriff Leon Lott is going after the friends of Michael Phelps, making eight arrests in connection with the (now) famous picture of the gold medalist taking a bong hit at an off-campus party three months after competition ended. The party took place in November at a house on Blossom Street near Five Points. It was at that house where someone snapped the photo of Phelps taking a hit on a marijuana pipe called a bong.

But many are saying the sheriff should concentrate on more serious crimes-- including the Daily Dude.

Richland County (where Columbia, SC is located) has some of the most dismal police statistics in the state. Even though the county ranks in the top echelon of counties in terms of crime being committed, they are below the state average in actually making arrests-- ranking #22 out of 46 counties (in calendar year 2006, the latest year such statistics are available). More damningly, Richland makes an arrest in only 15% of the cases where a crime is reported. Of the 46 counties in South Carolina, Richland ranks ninth from the bottom in terms of making arrests.

And while Sheriff Lott tries to grab headlines over such minor college stuff, more serious criminal activity goes unchecked. During the five-year period of 2002 to 2006-- when overall crime activity in Richland County was in decline-- the rates for more serious offenses such as murder and robbery actually increased. So a message to Mr. Sheriff-- quit hassling college students and focus on real crimes for a change!

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