BEND, Ore. — The Bend Police Department has received statewide recognition for its efforts to combat impaired driving, earning the 2025 Enforcement Agency of the Year award from the Oregon DUI Multi-Disciplinary Training Task Force.
In addition to the agency honor, Bend Police Officer Zachary Childers was named the 2025 DUI Officer of the Year. Childers, who has served with the department since 2017 and has more than a decade of law enforcement experience, currently works as a DUII and aggressive driving enforcement officer.
The awards were presented during the 2026 Oregon DUI Multi-Disciplinary Conference, where Mothers Against Drunk Driving also recognized Childers with its DUI Officer of the Year distinction.
According to the department, Bend Police made more than 550 DUI arrests in 2025, with Childers responsible for 151 of those arrests. Officials credited his efforts with significantly improving roadway safety in the community.
DUI enforcement remains a top priority for the department, which has also expanded its focus on prevention and education. In 2025, the agency’s traffic team partnered with school resource officers to teach students about traffic safety through hands-on demonstrations, including impairment simulation exercises using goggles and pedal carts.
The department also increased visibility during high-risk times. On New Year’s Eve, Bend Police deployed 10 additional officers in the downtown area to deter impaired driving. Officers also hosted an educational booth offering free alcohol breath testing to nearly 200 community members.
Officials noted that impairment played a role in four of the five fatal crashes in Bend in 2025, underscoring the importance of continued enforcement and education. The department has responded by increasing staffing, training, and enhancing the capabilities of its traffic crash reconstruction team to better investigate serious incidents and hold impaired drivers accountable.
The Bend Police Department said it will continue prioritizing efforts to remove impaired drivers from the road and urged community members to avoid driving under the influence.
“We encourage everyone to make safe choices,” the department said, “so we can all work together to keep our roads safe.”
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