UMATILLA COUNTY — While stay-home orders were designed to curb the spread of COVID-19 and save lives — and models have shown they’ve done so in Oregon — the orders have had an inadvertent impact on women experiencing intimate partner violence.

Reports of law enforcement statistics from around the state have indicated a rise in calls to service for domestic violence-related incidents, and a study published last month by the United Nations Population Fund projected stay-home orders could result in a 20% increase in violent incidents, which would mean an additional 15 million cases of intimate partner violence every three months the orders are in effect.

For the nearly two months that Gov. Kate Brown issued stay-home orders in Oregon, resources for domestic violence survivors and law enforcement in Umatilla County haven’t seen substantial evidence of those anticipated increases locally, though they still remain a concern.

“I think the thing that’s frightening is the reduced opportunities to get out,” said Kathryn Chaney, executive director for Domestic Violence Services in Umatilla and Morrow counties. “If you have to be at home with an abuser experiencing domestic violence during this time, it can be really difficult to find a way to get away from it.”

Domestic Violence Services has assisted survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking in Umatilla and Morrow counties for more than 40 years, and the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped it.

The organization has kept the doors open on its shelters in Pendleton and Hermiston, Chaney said, though they’ve taken measures to limit the number of occupants to a single individual or family per room.

Though she was concerned one was coming, Chaney said there hasn’t been a local surge in women seeking shelter with the organization or in the number of calls to its 24/7 crisis hotline during the stay-home orders. Advocates have also raised concerns about the potential for more severe incidents of domestic violence to occur during the pandemic, but Chaney said she and her staff haven’t noticed significant changes in the nature of reports they hear, either.

According to reports from local law enforcement, there aren’t definitive trends of the orders leading to more domestic violence-related calls.

Pendleton Police Chief Stuart Roberts said there was about a 50% increase in calls during April 2020 compared with April 2019 for all domestic offenses, such as assault, harassment and menacing.

In contrast, Hermiston Police Chief Jason Edmiston reported that calls for service in April were down 22% overall from last year, and domestic violence calls specifically were down 27%.

But in Milton-Freewater, Police Chief Doug Boedigheimer also reported an increase in domestic violence calls from five in April 2019 to 11 in April 2020.

“It’s important to remember we are dealing with relatively small numbers so increase/decrease swings in percentage can be very large,” Edmiston wrote in an email. “There has been information floating around about seeing drastic increases in domestics, suicides, etc., but the numbers do not support that.”

While Domestic Violence Services has needed to modify some of its services — such as closing down its offices to visitors since March 17 — Chaney said they continue to offer services like safety planning for survivors and virtual support groups.

Chaney said they’ve also had success with virtual volunteer training during the pandemic.

Though crime statistics and calls to the local crisis line haven’t reflected a spike in domestic violence in the area, Chaney said there may be a rise as stay-home orders are relaxed and survivors have greater opportunity to reach out for help.

Regardless, as reports continue to show a connection between the pandemic and rises in domestic violence elsewhere, Chaney emphasized the importance of remembering who and what is really to blame for intimate partner violence.

“Domestic violence happens on a good day with great, sunny weather, and it also happens on bad days in a thunderstorm,” she said. “Domestic violence is caused by a choice made by a person, and they’re the ones to blame.”

Domestic Violence Services has offices in Hermiston, Pendleton, Boardman and Milton-Freewater. Their crisis line is 1-800-833-1161, and more resources can be found at www.dvs-or.org.

“Domestic violence happens on a good day with great, sunny weather, and it also happens on bad days in a thunderstorm. Domestic violence is caused by a choice made by a person, and they’re the ones to blame.”

— Kathryn Chaney, executive director for Domestic Violence Services in Umatilla and Morrow counties