LOTT LACKS CONSISTENCY IN DRUG ENFORCEMENT

Leon Lott is doing his job. After the eight arrests he's made in the
aftermath of Phelpsgate, there's no doubt about that.

But is the Richland County sheriff just trying to keep his reputation
from going up in smoke? Is he going for the gusto solely because he's
in the limelight?

These are legitimate questions, and while we can't know Lott's
motivation, certain elements of the story do not check out.

It makes sense that he's pursuing Phelps's case. After the
photographic evidence practically fell in his lap, he would have been
a fool not to follow through. But the head-scratcher is his insistence
on tracking down these eight others.

If Lott and company genuinely wanted, they could track down far more
drug offenders in a week than these measly eight. There are enough
incriminating photographs on public Facebook profiles alone to keep
the Sheriff's Department busy.

Lott is clearly not treating every possession case with the same
diligence as he is this one. Plenty of illegal drug users in the
county have yet to be busted, and plenty never will.

This is not about differing opinions on drug laws. It's about
equitable enforcement.

If Lott is going to be gung-ho about this, he should put forth the
same effort in other areas. Another drug violation - underage drinking
- - takes place en masse every weekend in Five Points, and if Lott
doesn't know this, he's the only one.

In law enforcement, consistency is every bit as important as
thoroughness.