Bend Police on the hunt for DUII drivers over the holidays, with more grant-funded patrols on the road

(Update: Adding video, comments from Bend Police and a DUII attorney)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The holidays are right around the corner, which means spending time with family and friends, and celebrating -- often with alcohol.

In a social media posting late last week, Bend Police advised: "If you're going to celebrate, make a plan -- take a ride-share or taxi or have a friend or family member serve as a designated driver."

As we recently reported, Bend already has hit a record for drunken and drugged driving arrests this year.

Police are warning people there will be more patrols will be on the road this holiday season, watching for impaired drivers.

More patrols will be on the road as part of an Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon Impact DUII grant.

"In addition to our two DUII officers, between Christmas and New Year's. we're going to have extra people on the road looking for DUIIs," Bend Police Communication Manager Sheila Miller said Monday,

Oregon's legal limit is a blood alcohol level of .08. If an officer believes you're under the influence, they'll ask you to take part in a field sobriety test.

The grant provides $14,000 overall for a year - $6,000 of it goes to paying overtime for officers to enforce DUII laws.

"We have done this grant for years," Miller said. "It's a really common program, and we've done it for a number of years."

Bend police tallied 70 DUII arrests in December of last year.  Of those, 13 were between Christmas and New Year's. So far this month, they are at 36. 

Bryan Donahue, a Bend attorney who has been representing drivers charged with DUII for 10 years, said he knows conditions in the city have changed. 

"One of the other reasons that I think we see a lot more DUI's this time of year -- you've got worse driving conditions, right?" Donahue said. "I mean, we've had ice and snow over the ground for over a week now."

"You have roundabouts -- a lot of people don't know how to navigate a roundabout," he said. "You combine alcohol with those types of conditions, and you have sort of a dangerous recipe." 

DUII enforcement will happen over several shifts within the department, with a goal of keeping roads safe right through New Year's Day.   

"Hopefully, having those patrols out means that we will catch more people who are driving illegally and prevent deaths," Miller added.

Oregon State Police also take calls from drivers concerned about someone they see who might be driving under the influence.  The number to call is *677.