A task force of 30 police officers had been rushed together on this day in 1992 after "Canberra's worst week of street violence in memory".
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Escalated traffic patrols, random breath tests and street patrols were on the agenda to combat bad behaviour. The weekend before, a man had died after an "altercation" in a city nightclub, and a woman was bashed on the Wednesday.
"There have been dozens of similar reports in the past week and police report 43 serious assaults in the past three months," a story on the front page of The Canberra Times said.
"One veteran officer said, 'there is more violence than police have ever seen in the ACT.'"
Then-attorney general, Terry Connolly, was understood to have responded to a three-part police bid for increased powers at the time.
Police wanted the ability to arrest street fighters, confiscate alcohol and, in "extreme cases", search and detain suspected offenders.
"However, boosting [Canberra city's] foot patrols is expected to have a negative impact upon administration areas, particularly the service of warrants and summonses," the story said.
