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LA Mayor Says When It Comes To Reporting Business Violations 'Snitches Get Rewards'

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Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tonight addressed the issue of non-essential businesses that remain open despite emergency orders, issuing a stern warning to construction sites operating in the city of Los Angeles.

Garcetti's message: If you violate health and safety rules in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 you will suffer immediate consequences.

"We will not be shy about shutting down construction sites that do not comply. So comply. Continue the critical work that you are doing. But in the meantime, make sure you are keeping your people, and all of us safe."

Garcetti says city inspectors will be on site every day to ensure compliance. And he urged anyone who sees violations to call the city immediately.

Rules include - social distancing, hand washing rules, disinfecting protocols, and no sharing of desks, phones and tools.

He said his so-called "business ambassadors" had already been deployed to 540 businesses to ask them comply with the emergency order and shut their doors. He said the LAPD has visited 144 of those locations to confirm that they were abiding by those rules, and "we will keep following up, and we will bring forward misdemeanor filings to the city attorney, if necessary."

Garcetti urged anyone observing violations to message via coronavirus.la city.org/businessviolation. He added:

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"You know the old expression about snitches. Well, in this case, snitches get rewards. We want to thank you for turning folks in and making sure we are all safe. Look, I know that this is tough. I know that life feels fundamentally changed. And trust me, I have no joy in, and the rest of our city government and county government has no joy in stopping, our way of life temporarily."

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