MONTPELIER — A statewide tip line for citizens to report COVID-19 violations generated more than 1,650 reports, but fewer than 50 were reported to the police and only 15 were sent to the Attorney General’s Office.

A review by VtDigger shows nearly all of them were vague, inconsequential or petty.

Some involved neighbors reporting concerns about short-term rental properties still apparently operating.

In one case, a family member told authorities a relative was placing herself and others in danger traveling to Vermont from the West Coast.

The system was set up in April as a way to centralize reports of non-compliance with the rules set up under the State of Emergency declared by Gov. Phil Scott. The calls were routed through the Department of Public Safety’s Executive Order Reporting Tool.

Public Safety Commissioner Michael Schirling said the intent of the program was educational and not punitive.

“Rather than create a fragmented system where you could call 150 different places, 70 different police departments, potentially health officers and various towns and communities, it seemed to make sense to centralize things into a single portal,” Schirling said.

“This was to ensure that we were A) keeping to the main mission, which was education over an enforcement posture. And B) ensuring that we had a good flow of information and that we were being consistent statewide.”

Schirling said it would be incorrect to say the state is “investigating” tips that came through the system.

However, the records obtained by VtDigger were redacted for being part of an ongoing investigation into “criminal activity.”

For instance, names and identifying information in the citizen reports were all blacked out.

VtDigger obtained and analyzed 1,468 of these reported violations, and found that only 43, or 2.9%, were referred to specific police departments.

And only 15 were bumped up to the Attorney General’s Office for follow-up.

Only one case remains active — the state’s feud with Rutland-based Club Fitness Vermont.

That case, alleging the club violated the coronavirus rules, is still in court.

Separate from the statewide reporting system, the office’s Consumer Protection Unit received 119 complaints and brought one “enforcement action” against a security company for price gouging, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

For each complaint on the tip line, a person could check off multiple categories, so although 1,468 reports were analyzed, there were 1,514 complaints in all, once the multiple categories were counted.

Statewide, there wasn’t a consistent pattern showing that violations were being reported more frequently in some towns than others.

Comparisons are difficult, because the data lack uniformity.

New reports continue to come in, but Schirling said the Department of Public Safety is evaluating whether to keep using the system.

“We’re looking now if there are better mechanisms or if it’s time for a new mechanism,” Schirling said.

“And we don’t have that answer.”