Brad Warthen:
Some of y’all have mentioned this development on a previous thread, but here’s a separate post for it:
COLUMBIA, SC — Beleaguered former Columbia police chief Randy Scott will return to his former employer, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department later this month at a salary barely more than a uniform deputy.
Sheriff Leon Lott announced Wednesday afternoon that Scott starts May 13 with the title of “inspector” at pay of $40,000. A deputy sheriff’s starting pay is $35,000, Lott said in a prepared statement.
Efforts to reach Lott have been unsuccessful…
It had already been reported — I had mentioned it here — that Sheriff
Lott had said he would hire him back any time. I didn’t realize,
though, that it was an actual job offer — I saw it more as a good word
for a friend having a hard time.
Today, of course, was Randy Scott’s first day off the city payroll.
What do I think of this? I think the following:
I like Randy Scott. I thought he was doing a good job as chief. I
found his leave of absence, and then resignation, puzzling and
troubling. I think we deserve to know more, especially because of the
pattern of events over the last few months, with his retirement/rehiring
and the money the city shelled out to make that happen.
I also have a lot of respect for Sheriff Lott. I know he knows Randy
Scott a lot better than I do, and I want to think he knows what he’s
doing. I get the impression that he’s trying to help out a friend, and I
find that personally admirable. But public jobs are not for making
personal gestures. The public will be watching closely to see whether
this hire was justified or not. Which, ironically, may put additional
stress on former Chief Scott at a bad time. So it might not be that much
of a favor in the long run.
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