‘It’s not worth the risk:’ DUII drivers are still a serious, costly problem in Deschutes County

(Update: Adding video, comments by MADD, DA Steve Gunnels, Bend Police)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) - With holiday parties and gatherings at hand, intoxicated drivers continue to be a significant problem throughout Deschutes County.

Bend reported a record 684 DUII arrests last year, up more than a third from the previous year due to stepped-up enforcement.

Cate Duke is a program manager for an organization called Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Duke herself has been hit by a drunk driver and has lost a loved one because of another.

"It's not -- it's not worth the risk. It's not worth ruining the rest of your life over or causing the loss of your life or the life of somebody else's loved one on the streets," Duke said. "There's no reason for it. We have far too many options these days to get home safely, “

MADD has several programs around Oregon, including Deschutes County, that educates DUI offenders on the significant harm they can cause driving impaired.

"People should feel free to come and enjoy all the Deschutes County offers, but when they're making that, plan to come and have a good time," Duke added, "For those people who live in Deschutes County who are going to go out and have a good time and they're making those plans, they need to also include in those plans how they're going to travel safely home afterwards.“

Deschutes County is on pace for 1,200 DUIIs this year. Duke noted the county has the second-most arrests in the state for DUIIs, and District Attorney Steve Gunnels office prosecutes the cases.

“We're going to have about 1200 DUIIs charged in Deschutes County (this year), which I think is an embarrassing number," Gunnels said Thursday. "And it's something that's very concerning to me as a prosecutor, But also, law enforcement does a really good job of catching people who are driving intoxicated.”

In Bend, there have been more than 550 DUII cases this year, while last year there were almost 700. Bend PD Communications Manager Sheila Miller noted, "Our community has told us that they want DUIIs to be a priority for us. And so we've made them a priority."

For the past three years, the Bend PD has had two officers dedicated too patrolling for impaired drivers. Bend PD also assigns officers overtime hours on certain days of the year known for an increased possibility of drunk driving; those hours are federally funded.

“This isn't just something that happens at night downtown during the holidays," Miller said. "This is a year-round problem that we have here in our community."

Someone driving while intoxicated can face fines, jail time and license suspension. Bend Police suggest knowing how you're getting home before you leave the house, whether it be Uber, Lyft, a cab or a friend.