Five people were arrested at the Katherine Show over the weekend and another two detained under paperless arrest powers, NT Police said, with seven knives and 12 other prohibited weapons seized during wanding operations at the show as part of a massive police blitz.

Acting Superintendent Warren Scott said Operation Gunnison resulted in six notices to appear in court, with 51 licensed premises checked on Friday and Saturday. A total of 93 litres of alcohol was disposed of and 121 individuals were “moved on” from the weekend event.

Police said a total of 4,320 individuals were screened with wands while entering the show, leading to the discovery of the knives and other weapons. A further 19 people were issued “wanding cautions”, although what that meant was unclear. The reasons for the five arrests were also not disclosed.

Supt Scott said Operation Gunnison ensured a secure environment through a combination of crowd screening and local community engagement, along with a robust traffic enforcement presence around the Katherine Showgrounds over the weekend.

He also said a dedicated traffic enforcement unit monitored roads around the showgrounds due to the significant increase in visitors.

During the period, police made 120 traffic apprehensions, set up 29 random breath testing stations, and conducted 928 negative breath tests.

Police recorded 14 negative and five positive drug tests, issued 28 traffic infringement notices, six summary infringement notices, and eight defect notices. Speed cameras scanned 4,459 vehicles, identifying 250 for speeding.

“Our increased police presence allowed officers to engage directly with the community while ensuring strong safety measures remained in place throughout the Show and Rodeo,” Supt Scott said.

“Alongside our wanding and traffic operations, officers spent time speaking with Territory families, visitors and local businesses, helping create a welcoming and safe environment for everyone attending the event.”

He said that although the event was a success, the high number of speeding violations indicates that there’s still more work to be done on Territory roads.

He encouraged drivers to reduce their speed, drive responsibly, and prioritise road safety.

“I am incredibly proud of our members, including our new PPSOs, and I thank the Katherine community for the way they embraced the event and worked with police to make this year’s Show and Rodeo such a success,” he said.

The NT Police thanked the public for contributing to a fun and safe Katherine show and working “with police to make this year’s Show and Rodeo such a success”.