There are new penalties in Enumclaw if you misuse the 911 line or expose children to domestic violence.

The Enumclaw City Council unanimously approved the related ordinances during its Jan. 13 meeting.

The Enumclaw Police Department has been dealing with a dramatic rise in non-valid 911 calls for two years.

According to EPD Commander Tony Ryan, general call volume has been steady since 2018. However, in 2023, the department received more than 4,500 calls — about a thousand more than the previous combined annual average.

Last year, that total increased to more than 7,000, “with many those calls being non-emergent and disruptive to our 911 call center,” he continued. “We have received hundreds of calls where the caller berates and curses at the on-duty dispatcher. Additionally, these calls disrupt dispatchers during legitimate emergencies.”

The department started reviewing 911 calls last year, which led to this new recommended city policy.

“The 911 system should be used for the sole purpose of coordinating an emergency response,” Ryan said. “The new ordinance will provide a level of accountability for individuals who choose to abuse the 911 system or disturb 911 dispatchers. It will also allow our agency and employees to serve our community at the highest level without the repetitive distraction of nefarious calls that take time away from true emergency calls.”

According to the ordinance, an invalid 911 call consists of “repeated calls, irrespective of the duration of time between the calls… for a purpose other than… to report a situation that the person reasonably believes requires prompt service in order to preserve human safety or property, or… to report new information in an active investigation.”

With the ordinance passed, misusing 911 will be considered a misdemeanor and can result in a maximum fine of $1,000 or up to 90 days in jail for the first offense.

In addition to the criminal penalty, the city can also impose a civil penalty of up to $500 per incident.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

The other new ordinance the council passed makes exposing a minor to domestic violence a crime.

“Studies show that children who witness or hear acts of domestic violence suffer significant emotional, psychological, and developmental harm, which can have lifelong effects,” a city staff report reads. “The City of Enumclaw recognizes the critical importance of protecting children from the trauma associated with domestic violence. This proposed ordinance introduces penalties for exposing minor children to domestic violence, aiming to mitigate these impacts and promote safer environments for families.”

Those convicted of exposing a minor (anyone under 18 years old) to domestic violence — which includes in the presence of or within earshot — will now receive a minimum 30-day jail sentence.

However, those sentenced to less than 30 days will be put on probation with various conditions, including attending a certified domestic violence perpetrator treatment program and a treatment program that addresses the effects of domestic violence on children.

The Enumclaw Police Department responds to roughly 30 simple domestic violence assaults every year, and only a handful of aggravated domestic violence assaults, if any.

The EPD hasn’t fully compiled its annual crimes report, but in 2023 there were 35 simple domestic violence assaults and three aggravated domestic violence assaults.

However, it’s unclear how many of these cases make it to trial and, if so, how many end in jail time or a fine; Enumclaw’s court was unable to immediately provide information regarding charges and sentences.

The city can only prosecute fourth-degree domestic assault, a gross misdemeanor that is punishable by up to a year in jail and/or a $5,000 fine.