TWISP — You don’t have to be polite in Twisp. But public officials are hoping you will be.

Instead of issuing tickets to people who cuss someone out, the town decided Tuesday to rely on public pressure to keep their foul-mouthed residents from attacking others with words. The Twisp Town Council unanimously voted down a proposal by its new police chief Rob Hall to prohibit verbal abuse.

The ordinance would not have outlawed swearing. But it would have allowed police to issue a $50 ticket to people who use “violent abusive language” in situations “reasonably calculated to provoke a breach of safety or peace.”

Hall asked for the new municipal code after a customer went to a business last month and directed highly offensive language at the woman behind the counter. He said some states have “curse and abuse” laws for situations that don’t fit the definition of criminal harassment. And when he found there isn’t such a law in Washington, he asked the town to adopt one.

After considering the matter Tuesday, council members decided they don’t really need it, said Mayor Bill Boosman.

“For the time being, we have set it aside,” he said. The council did invite Hall to come back with more information if he believes verbal abuse is really a problem in this small town, he said.

Boosman said at least a dozen people came to comment on the proposal, and a majority were against it. There were also some who spoke in favor of it, and one or two who came out somewhere in the middle.

“Even the people that opposed it understood that verbal abuse can cause emotional harm,” he said.

He said the council weighed not only the community support, but also whether the ordinance fits with the community’s vision and provided a benefit for citizens, whether it was a priority, and whether it was legal.

He said the ordinance generally fit with the community’s values of civility, but many felt it would could infringe on free speech.

“The government feels like it can tap our e-mails and cell phones,” he said, adding, “With all that in the background, there are a lot of people wanting to push back.”

K.C. Mehaffey: 997-2512

mehaffey@wenatcheeworld.com