The Sweet Home Police Department will run extra patrols during the holiday season, looking for drunken drivers, from Dec. 21 to Jan. 6.
The enforcement effort is funded by one of three grants that will provide money for additional focused patrols in the next year, said Sgt. Jason Van Eck, who applied for the grants.
The first grant is for $2,000 and will fund patrols focused on enforcement against driving under the influence during the Christmas-New Year’s season and Labor Day weekend.
Patrols will ideally be on the road between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m., Van Eck said. Officers will sign up for overtime shifts.
“Alcohol, prescriptions and illegal drugs can affect the ability of people to drive their vehicles,” Van Eck said. “We’re obviously working to make the roads safe, get the impaired drivers off the road,” reducing accidents, damage to property and injuries.
Often around Sweet Home, police will see drunken drivers crashing into parked vehicles, signs and other property, Van Eck said.
In a recent injury crash on North River Drive, the driver was at four times the legal limit of .08 percent blood alcohol level, he said.
Van Eck said drivers may be legally impaired even below the legal limit, based on field sobriety tests and the evaluation of a police officer.
Two drug recognition experts evaluate drivers for impairment by prescription and illegal drugs, Van Eck said.
The other two grants will fund pedestrian safety and seatbelt enforcement most likely in the spring.
The grant money totals $4,500.