If New York City residents see anyone violating social distancing rules, Mayor Bill de Blasio wants them to report it to authorities.
The NYC mayor posted a video on Twitter over the weekend instructing people how they can rat out stores not enforcing restrictions geared toward curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
“All you’ve got to do is take the photo and put the location with it, and, bang, send a photo like this and we will make sure that enforcement comes right away,” de Blasio said in the video message.
The mayor is taking heat from some for pitting people against each other.
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani hammered de Blasio’s message in a series of tweets. He slammed the “failed” mayor for “turning people against each other” and invading their “usual sense of privacy.”
"Urging citizens to film non-compliant individuals reminds me of one of the tactics utilized in the country where he spent his honeymoon, Cuba," Giuliani tweeted.
Retired NYPD Sgt. Joseph Giacalone told the New York Post that following the mayor’s advice “could result in acts of random violence.”
At the end of March, de Blasio announced social distancing rule breakers could face fines up to $500.
He said turning in violators is about saving lives.
"It’s about saving lives,” de Blasio said in his video message. “Sending that photo in is gonna help make sure that people are kept apart, and that’s going to stop the disease from spreading. And that’s going to save lives.”
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.