NYC Social Distancing Tip Line Spammed With Angry Memes, Obscene Pics And Foul Language

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recently launched a social distancing tip line where locals may report their fellow neighbors for violating the safety measure. However, a few days into its operation, the service has been spammed with angry memes, obscene photos, and foul language instead of legitimate reports.

De Blasio encouraged New Yorkers to send in text messages at the 311-692 non-emergency number or use the 311 app to report social distancing violations. Individuals caught not following this order can be sanctioned with a $500 fine.

"When you see a crowd, when you see a line that’s not distanced, when you see a supermarket that’s too crowded, anything, you can report it right away so we can get help there to fix the problem,” the mayor said in a video posted on social media. “All you 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.”

But overnight, the tip line has been inundated with "dick pics" or photos of locals giving the mayor the finger. Some also sent in memes featuring the mayor's faux pas or Adolf Hitler, while others "reported" seeing the mayor in an uncompromising situation with someone "in an alleyway behind a 7-11.”

According to the New York Post, some residents were apparently upset that the service encouraged neighbors to snitch on each other. Not long after it was launched, the social distancing tipline was temporarily disabled.

However, William Reda, the spokesperson for 311, said that the service would resume once they have gone through the messages.

“311 is augmenting staff this week and plans to assign additional headcount to the text queue to better address these conditions in the future," Reda said.

The New York Police Department, on the other hand, told The Post that it has started vetting the tips sent to 311.

"The photos are being monitored constantly by the NYPD for action. In terms of whether there's a response back to the person who sends the photo, I don't know that" de Blasio said during a press conference Monday.