Sedgwick County ends coronavirus tip line after O’Donnell calls it ‘Gestapo’ tactic
As the Wichita area prepares to reopen thousands of business amid the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, the Sedgwick County Commission is shutting down what members called a “snitch line” for residents to report violations of ongoing public health orders.
“It feels way too much like a police state; that’s not America,” said Commissioner Michael O’Donnell, who made the motion to eliminate a web portal set up to give residents a place to report the kinds of mass gatherings that have been prohibited in the effort to prevent the spread of the virus.
Later in the meeting, O’Donnell raised a question of how the courts, which are on skeleton staffing, would handle it “if somebody gets a ticket from the Gestapo” for holding illegal mass gatherings.
O’Donnell recommended that instead of calling local health authorities to report violations, those calls should go to the office of Gov. Laura Kelly, who made the rules.
“I’d like to see the snitch line be the governor’s office (phone number),” O’Donnell said. “As far as I’m concerned . . . this is the governor’s order. If this is what the governor wants, then she should own it.”
The commission serves as the county Health Board and the vote to remove reporting options from the county’s website was unanimous.
Commissioner Lacey Cruse voted yes, although earlier she objected to commissioners calling it a “snitch line” and O’Donnell’s Nazi rhetoric.
“We’re in a different time,” she said. “Right now it’s time to use professional language.”
Friday’s special meeting was the first since Thursday night when Kelly announced the end Monday of her stay-at-home order, which shuttered thousands of businesses in the county. The governor also eased restrictions on mass gatherings from a strict limit of 10 for businesses as long as they maintain social distancing.
County Manager Tom Stolz said the staff would do what the commission directed, but counseled caution.
He explained that the special weblink and e-mail address were created to relieve pressure on the 911 system and keep it open for emergency calls.
“Whatever our solution is, I would like to keep the 911 system out of this,” he said.
Assistant County Manager Tania Cole said since the tip line went into operation, the county’s sent 162 letters informing businesses they were in violation.
Commissioner Jim Howell said he doesn’t want reports “if somebody’s getting a back-alley haircut” and added that county staff set up the line without asking the commissioners.
“Had they asked us, I’m not sure we’d have put that on the website in the first place,” he said.
Contributing: Chance Swaim of The Eagle
This story was originally published May 1, 2020 at 11:56 AM.
