"He needs to determine whether he is going to be the supervisor, or he's going to be the sheriff—and right now he doesn't qualify to be the sheriff."
—Hinds County Sheriff Tyrone Lewis responding to Supervisor Kenny Stokes' criticism of Lewis' management of the Raymond Detention Center.
Why it stinks: Sheriff Lewis is right in pointing out that many of the structural deficiencies at the jail precede his election as the county's top cop in 2011. So while it's not fair to lay all the blame at Lewis' feet, it's his jail now, and he has to answer for any mistakes that happen out there. Given disaster after deadly disaster, Lewis should understand that people are naturally going to raise questions about his own qualifications to be sheriff. Instead of lashing out at Stokes, Lewis should be open and willing to have public conversations about the jail, including with the Jackson Free Press, which could earn back some of the public's trust—something he is sorely lacking right now.
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