On the frontline of Canberra's nightlife as part of the city's volunteer "night crew", she's the gentle hand on your arm steering you away from oncoming traffic, or offering a bottle of water (and in some cases a bucket).

"I'm everybody's mum on the night crew. When they see me coming, they go 'here's grandma'," she said.

As police ramp up their presence across the capital, Val will be hitting the streets again this summer to take care of Canberra's late-night revellers.

On Friday, ACT Policing launched its annual Safe Summer campaign to target drug and alcohol-fuelled behaviour over the party season, promising more breath-testing and more boots on the ground in the capital's entertainment districts.

"The reality is we do see an increase in alcohol-related incidents this time of year, and we do see greater arrests by police," the ACT's police chief Justine Saunders said.

But joining police between 10pm and 4am every Friday and Saturday night in Civic will be 10 or so volunteers from the Night Crew.

From charging phones to offering up free pairs of thongs or even organising emergency accommodation, Ms Dempsey said the crew members were an important part of getting Canberrans home safely.

To some locals, they're known simply as "the white angels".

About one in four people they encounter need more than just a bandaid and a bottle of water, Ms Dempsey said.

The crew members, who are mostly all first aid trained , have already helped diffuse their fair share of hairy situations since starting up last December.

Ms Dempsey recalls stepping in between a group of men ready to "have at it" last Friday night, armed with just a lolly pop, a bottle of water and a calm voice.

"We've intervened in probably 130 sexual assault-type things as well," she said.

"My granddaughter has just turned 18 and she's now going out partying, and I'd like to think someone would be out there looking after her if she needed it."

Of course, Ms Dempsey admits every now and then a friendly tap on the shoulder can be misinterpreted in a Saturday crowd.

"One young chappie was a bit under the weather one night and I think he was thinking this old grandma was going to take him home to her place," she said.

"He bolted straight for a taxi."

The former nurse said the crew were there to help party-goers, not judge. After all, she's the first to admit that 40 years ago she could be found "in the gutter on East Row" herself, being prompted home by police.

ACT Police Minister Mick Gentleman said he expected this summer to be an even bigger party season than the last, with the territory's population growing and celebrations continuing in the wake of the same-sex marriage legislation. Extra resources had been committed to keeping Canberrans safe, he said, including a new late night rapid bus service in partnership with Uber.

Beginning on Friday, the service allows customers to arrange to be dropped off and picked up from their closest bus interchange by an Uber driver, and will run every Friday and Saturday night until New Year's Day.