Cops up patrols for holiday

Tools

Story Published: Jul 3, 2008 at 9:27 PM PST

By KVAL Web Staff

Police issue a July fourth travel warning that this could be a more dangerous holiday than usual.

That's because the fourth falls on a Friday. Authorities say deadly crashes increase when the holiday falls on a three-day weekend.

Extra patrols will be on the road starting Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. through the end of Sunday. They'll be watching for dangerous driving, especially extreme speeders and impaired drivers.

Police say the Fourth of July period is typically the deadliest holiday of the year.

Police roll out mobile DUII RV

Oregon's latest tool to help keep intoxicated drivers off our highways will be making another visit in Douglas County during the Fourth of July holiday weekend, including a visit in the Diamond Lake area as part of the national "Drunk Driving Over the Limit, Under Arrest" enforcement blitz.

About one year ago, Oregon State Police (OSP), Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), and other law enforcement agencies and partners rolled out a creative solution to help facilitate the processing of arrested DUII drivers and help get officers back on the road quicker. Through a $171,000 grant from ODOTs Transportation Safety Division, a 2007 36-foot Winnebago Voyage motor home was purchased with retrofitted equipment necessary to test and process intoxicated drivers.

The Mobile DUII Processing Center (MDPC) equipment includes three Intoxilyzer Model 8000 breath-alcohol testing equipment, three work stations with laptops and printers, and two temporary holding cells. The unit also includes emergency supplies, cell phones and radio communications equipment.

OSP Sergeant Lynn Withers brought the MDPC to help area law enforcement agencies while an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 visitors come to Diamond Lake for the holiday weekend. The MDPC has previously been used to help interagency efforts during events such as Oktoberfest, Paulina Rodeo, Seneca Oyster Feed, and Klamath County Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

"Having the Mobile DUII Processing Center motor home on site will help keep troopers, deputies, and U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officers in this area instead of having to drive the 140 mile round trip to Roseburg if they have to lodge someone or process an arrested intoxicated driver," said Withers.

On Saturday, the MDPC will also roll into Roseburg to help OSP troopers, Douglas County deputies, and officers from Roseburg, Sutherlin, Winston, and Myrtle Creek police departments to process impaired drivers.

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