Reason.com Setting the cops on social-distancing scofflaws is dangerous to public health and a free society.
In the time of the pandemic the world’s snitches are in their glory, pointing fingers at “non-essential” businesses struggling to keep the lights on and at neighbors brazenly standing too closely together. Rarely have entitled scolds been so empowered to tattle on people doing stuff of which they disapprove. Lockdown commandments hand them the opportunity not just to publicly shame violators—an annoying hobby, yet one to which they have every right—but to inform to the authorities, with all that entails.
As an epidemic, snitching seems to be competing with the virus itself in its spread.
“Snitches are emerging as enthusiastic allies as cities, states and countries work to enforce directives meant to limit person-to-person contact amid the virus pandemic that has claimed tens of thousands of lives worldwide,” reports the AP. “They’re phoning police and municipal hotlines, complaining to elected officials and shaming perceived scofflaws on social media.”
As always, informers are encouraged in their excess by many government officials. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti promised that “snitches get rewards,” and his sentiments are shared by rules-makers and enforcers elsewhere.
A certain segment of the public has eagerly embraced the role of social-distancing Stasi, recording perceived violations of safe practices and not just reprimanding the supposed violators for exercising independent judgment, but handing their details off to the authorities.
“Pickup games of basketball. Co-workers enjoying lunch together. A child blowing bubbles while strolling down the sidewalk with family … are drawing looks of disgust, shame on social media, and a flood of complaints to police and local authorities, who are fielding a surge of reports of supposed social distancing violations,” notes the Boston Globe.
To their credit, some police departments aren’t so enthusiastic about the flood of helpful tips. Police in Las Vegas and Michigan asked locals to please stop clogging 911 with calls about construction workers continuing to build things and people out for runs.
That’s understandable when you realize just how motivated many Americans are to fink on their friends and neighbors. Between March 23 and April 8, a dedicated tip line in Kentucky received roughly 30,000 calls from people concerned about the alleged social-distancing faux pas of individuals and businesses. They called “to report everything from fraternity brothers hanging out by a pool to factories that allegedly aren’t spacing out employees,” according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Tip lines aren’t the only means by which Americans turn each other in.
Jurisdictions around the country have launched online forms so people can set the cops on “non-essential” businesses that continue to serve customers and people who stand too close together. Most are meant only for reporting violations by commercial establishments, but New York State’s form accepts complaints about all claimed breaches of the state’s restrictive social-distancing guidelines.
Let’s get back to work…there are entities that need to be dealt with harshly.