STUART, Fla. — The Martin County Sheriff’s Office has a message to folks who wish to report social distancing complaints: please do not call 911. Instead, call your local agency’s non-emergency number.
”People are upset. They see somebody playing volleyball. They see a group, you know, within less than 6 feet, and they call our 911 number. Please don’t do that,” Sheriff William Snyder told Contact 5 investigator Merris Badcock.
Snyder said they deal with a large number of calls for service on any given day, but they have recently been inundated with COVID-19 related calls.
The social distancing complaints are tying up the phone lines for true emergencies -- like an overturned car with flames or a baby who is not breathing Snyder explained.
”Somebody violating the county commission rules, or the governor’s rules, is important. We should know about it. We will come out, and we will take care of it. But it is not an emergency, and it is not a 911 call,” said Snyder.
The non-emergency number for the Martin County Sheriff’s Office is 770-220-7170. Check online for the non-emergency number for your local law enforcement agency.