Crime pays in San Luis Obispo

August 26, 2019

OPINION by T. KEITH GURNEE

The Tribune’s recent editorial regarding SLO city’s building inspector Christopher Olcott’s incarceration in a “pay-to-stay” jail utterly missed the mark. It is the City of San Luis Obispo that is actually paying him to stay in cushy detention.

After being caught red-handed on video cold-cocking a young woman in a bar, Olcott was placed on “paid administrative leave” with his $68,000 annual salary in tact since April 16. While he remains on paid leave for more than four months now, his monthly salary is more than enough to cover his 60-day so-called sentence.

Has he sent the city a thank you note yet?

But what is lost on the Tribune is the glaring hypocrisy of our city leaders on this issue. With a City Council comprised by four women some of whom participated in the Women’s Marches in support of the “Me Too” movement with great fanfare, how is it that our mayor and council continue to tolerate this arrangement for a public employee who was filmed abusing a woman? And what does this say to the woman who was the victim of Olcott’s attack?

Does the fact that Olcott continues to draw his full salary for not working reveal the city’s intent to keep him on their staff when the time is right? Who knows?

So this is how the city spends your tax dollars! What is happening to this once fine town? After all, it only goes to prove that crime does pay in San Luis Obispo.