Police are ready for a busier than usual weekend, with football, races, centenary celebrations, increased traffic on the roads for the long weekend, and the launch of a social media campaign to tackle underage drinking.
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Operations started on Friday night with "a higher presence of mobile traffic police" to ensure the safety of people leaving the Territory for the long weekend.
"[Friday evening] and returning on Monday are the two primary times for us [and] we always liaise strongly with NSW and our traffic branches to make sure we're coordinated," Superintendent Brett Kidner of the Australian Federal Police said.
"We'll be targeting excessive speed, alcohol and drug impaired drivers, driver fatigue, seat belts and distracted drivers - all those traffic elements that combine to … increase risk to the public."
While Superintendent Kidner said the football matches on Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday's races were all routine events, they would have extra police on patrol for the expected large crowds around the lake foreshore on Monday.
"We have the races every year, so we already have good plans in place for that and we do have additional resources that focus on the race day, [and] every weekend with the football we have additional resources allocated to those as well,'' he said.
"On Monday with the Centenary celebrations, we have an increased police presence because of the activities around the lake.
"We encourage people to come along and enjoy the weekend, it's certainly a special weekend of festivities, and public safety is our main focus."
Crime prevention units will be cracking down on underage drinking at Skyfire on Monday, as well as using the event to educate youth as part of their new campaign.
The "Don't take your chances" campaign, launched on Friday, aims to demonstrate the potential social and legal consequences of underage drinking.
"This campaign aims to challenge the perception that teenagers need to drink alcohol to be accepted, instead highlighting potential social and legal consequences they can relate to," Sergeant Harry Hains of ACT Policing's Crime Prevention said
As part of the campaign, ACT Policing will be partnering with 'Red Frogs', a support group which aims to provide a positive peer presence in alcohol-fuelled environments Red Frogs will be assisting police in engaging teenagers at the event and educating them on safe partying behaviour.
