Documents with the names of people who reported stay-at-home violations are being shared online. One tipster said she won’t count on the county’s help again.
A spree of social media posts this week warn that St. Louis County released the information it got from people who reported businesses in violation of the stay-at-home order.
The document, released in response to a Sunshine Law request, included names and contact information of the people making the reports. In their messages, some asked for anonymity.
Posts and comments in response to the document invited retaliation against the people who utilized the county’s inbox for tips about non-essential businesses that stayed open.
The I-Team’s PJ Randhawa talked with a woman whose tip was among those released. Patricia asked that we not use her last name, because she fears what someone might do with the information in the document.
“We're in a society where doing what's right doesn't always get rewarded,” she said.
Patricia has lupus. Two other people in her house have autoimmune issues.
“We have to be extra careful because we don’t have the strength to fight this,” she said. “I saw a lot of businesses that were non-essential that were open and had lines outside, parking lots filled as if the order didn't matter to them. And that was kinda frustrating."
Tips flood in after county asks for help
What Patricia did is exactly what St. Louis County intended when it established two ways for people to submit tips on non-compliant businesses. County government announced the creation of an online form and a dedicated email address for those tips in the last week of March.
In a little over a week, those channels received more than 900 tips from the public, the released documents show. Among the complaints are employees and their family members asking for anonymity because they feared backlash from employers.
The online form some of them used warned that the tips they submitted could become public records.
Patricia said she never expected it to end up on Facebook, posted by someone whose motive seemed to be revenge.
Social media backlash
The Facebook post headline said, “Here ya go. The gallery of snitches, busybodies, and employees who rat out their own neighbors and employers over the Panic-demic.”
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Replies
I will never complain about someone ignoring the CV "rules".
the very headline of this article say it all.
First of all I would never agree to spy on my neighbors. This isn't 1930's Germany. This is America. People need to be reminded of that, and also be told to be wary of anyone who even suggests that they do any act that will be a risk to the freedom and rights of another. This is just crazy. But Communism will take advantage of troubled times when a country is weak. That's the dangerous time when unclean forces get strong and take power. I hope people do not bow down to those who are working against our freedom. Remember your history!
The sad thing here Jane is that it is Americans betraying their fellow citizens by engaging in various forms of commercial piracy, espionage, and treason... The Chinese don't need spies, albeit, they have spies, they simply let it be known they are looking to purchase a piece of technology they don't have, and some greedy traitor in the U.S. will rush to provide China with the technology... knowing, that our government rarely sends anyone to prison for doing so.
that is what Obama did with the tea party back when he was the preisent.
Incorperate and you will have no trouble, you will become a tax collector.
I have no doubts what so ever that it is Democrats doing this. They threatened my niece with arrest etc... when her business was forced to close (as a dog groomer); while big box Pet Smart was allowed to stay open.
And get this, while she's being harassed and stalked with the black booted thug pigs continuing to 'check up' that neither, she or her husband are allowed to make any living whatsoever; other dog groomers (Democrat I believe) are still in business (operating (under the table)).
The democrats want us all to lose everything; while they scream that Trump is at faul.
I have no respect for any Dimwit whatsoever.
I meant to say 'fault'. not faul...
I am pretty sure that most of them are from dimbiciles but I can also see independents and republicans ratting out their dimbicile neighbors to teach them a lesson about socialism/communism.
As for the woman with Lupus, it is her responsibility to keep herself safe by self quarantining, not my responsibility to stay at home when I have no issues.
My wife has asthma and we are taking many extra steps to keep her safe but neither of us thinks that it is anyone else's responsibility to stay home because of her respiratory issue.
Well said !
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